Search for the Shikon
by White Dire Wolf
Summary: Killers, car crashes and Karaoke? And Kagome thought she was just doing research for her dissertation. How was she to know her partner was also her assassin? Mature audiences only please.
1. Beginning

This and the chapters to follow are all apart of my imagination, but the characters will forever and always be the property of Rumiko Takahashi's.

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

"_Do you take this woman, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"_

_Kagome looked at the young man she has known since grade school. Tears filled her eyes in love and happiness as she watched the man in front of her._

"_I do."_

"_And do you take this man, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"_

_Kagome smiled and the tears began to fall._

"_I do."_

"_Then let all bear witness to your love and promise to one another, let no one break the bonds you have made here today."_

_Kagome sighed shakily. After all this time, they did it! They were finally married!_

"_May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Hojo and Ayume Saito."_

_Applause…._

_Picture of a happy couple, Ayume and Hojo, together at last._

"Next."

Kagome glanced up from the picture she was staring at and walked to the ticket counter.

"Ticket and passport, please." The slight framed woman barely even looked up as she clacked on the computer keyboard in front of her.

"Yeah, one sec." Kagome shifted the pictures back into their envelope and gave the agent her plane ticket and passport.

"One way, Tokyo, Japan?" The woman finally looked up, comparing the passport photo to the woman in front of her, frowning slightly.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. The passport photo was for certain the worst photo anyone had to legally own. Hers was no exception. The photo was of a frazzled woman of the age of twenty-five, having just finished her Masters thesis and presented it to the board that morning. The stress and strain of that week was apparent in that photo since she was in a rush to collect her final work for her report to give to the committee. Not to mention the emotional turmoil caused by her ex-boyfriend. But that was two years ago.

The girl standing in the airport now was radiant, though she would be the first to say she was nothing much and mean it. She was now twenty-seven years old, though she looked around twenty-one. She had long black hair, that was naturally full and soft, and her eyes were a caramel brown. Her skin was tanned from summers on excavations and somewhat flawless. She had to admit, she was a bit of a risk taker and the scars on her body were enough to make any cringe. But her most admirable quality, she had to admit, was her addiction for adventure. She was an archaeologist, and the search for truth was both her passion and her purpose.

Staring confidently back at the agent, Kagome grinned. "Hai, one way or no way." She went through the routine questions and checks, waiting patiently and quietly, before being handed her ticket and passport.

"Okay, the flight is at gate eighteen, you head down this hallway to the departure terminal. They will check your carry on there, and then follow the directions to make it to your gate. Your seat number is 39A. Have a great trip, Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome smiled and thanked the girl. She picked up her yellow backpack and walked in the direction she was told. Along the ticket counters she couldn't help but notice a small argument erupting ahead of her.

"Oi, wench, what do you mean there is no first class available? If anything, that's the only class that should be available!" A man's voice barked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but executive class is full. The ticket you have purchased is for economy class." A woman replied.

"It wasn't me that bought the damned thing, it was my jackass of a half brother!" The man growled. "I demand an upgrade."

"Again, I'm sorry, sir, there is nothing I can do, unless you wish to move to another flight? But there will be an additional charge for the change, and the next flight won't be until Friday." The ticket agent quickly added.

"Keh. Fuck that, just give me my damn ticket."

Kagome glanced at the man who obviously had no class and blinked in shock at his rudeness before settling on his features. Though he was acting like an ass, he looked amazing. He appeared to be around her age. He had long, black hair, almost to his waist that was tied at the middle of his back. He wore black slacks and a red cotton t-shirt that molded nicely against his toned torso. A black leather coat hung over his satchel that rested at his side. He defiantly had a dominating quality about him. Even though he was at the moment a complete jackass, he was every inch a fine man.

Kagome was unaware she was staring until that very man turned his head and leered at her with flashing gray eyes that were almost curtained by wisps of black bangs. His expression was hate filled and with malice before he turned his head away in an attempt to obviously ignore her.

She gave his back a questioning glance before continuing on. _What a jerk._

* * *

_Music and wine flowed around them._

"_Kagome, come on! Ayume is about to throw the bouquet!" Yuka squealed._

"_No thanks!" she had laughed, "I'm not about to be cursed with that.'"_

"_Oh, come on, Kagome, it's tradition."_

"_You go on ahead, and if you catch it, I'll be the bridesmaid at your wedding too."_

_Yuka shook her head in amusement and ran to the dance floor with the herd of other girls waiting for their chance to tear hair and fabric over the floral piece._

_She rolled her eyes. What a waste of dignity.' She took her camera out to capture the special moment._

"_I got it!"_

Kagome giggled softly over the picture of Eri sitting on top of Yuka, holding a very crumpled and wilted bouquet before a ding and an echoed voice erupted around the terminal.

"Attention all passengers for flight 281, Vancouver to Tokyo, Japan. Seats 39 to 20 now boarding. Will all passengers sitting through seats 39 to 20 please make their way to the boarding gate now."

Kagome stood and followed the progression of people to the gate, unaware of a steely glare watching her board.

* * *

_Cake and punch, how Leave It to Beaver.' Kagome mused as she picked at the butter cream cake in front of her._

"_Well, girls, its an end of a fuckin' era." Eri raised a fluted glass to her three friends._

"_Aren't you being a little melodramatic?" Yuka snorted._

"_Ayume's married, I'm heading to New York, you're progressing in your company in Victoria, and Kagome is…. Hey, Kagome, what exactly are you doing?" Eri quirked a sly grin as she took a swig of her white wine._

_Kagome grinned nervously. "I found someone to give me my grant. Girls, I'm going to Japan!"_

"_What!" All three yelped._

"_When?"_

"_For how long?"_

"_Why the fuck Japan?"_

_Kagome looked at all three, trying to hold back her excitement. "It's a part of my dissertation. You all know I've got a thing for Oriental folklore, thanks to Gramps. Well, what better way to get my doctorate than search for the legendary Shikon no Tama?"_

"_Yup, you're absolutely insane." Eri shook her head._

"_Oh, Kagome, that's so exciting!" Ayume smiled. "Will you go home for a bit?"_

"_Yeah, Gramps is expecting me at the shrine. In fact, that's where my research first begins. The legend is linked to the shrine, more specifically the Goshinboku Tree."_

"_That creepy old thing. I remember that! Gave me the willies every time I came to see you at the shrine!" Eri shivered._

"_Wow! That's fantastic!" Yuka gushed, ignoring Eri's distasteful expression. "Who gave you the funding?"_

"_A private company. It's located here in Vancouver, but based right out of Japan. Just…." Kagome bit her lower lip. "It's weird."_

"_Why is it weird?" Ayume asked._

"_Because, one, it's a company, with nothing to do with archaeology, and two, they called me directly to issue a grant. I never heard of them before, but when I did a little research on them, they happen to be one of the most prestigious and wealthy companies in Japan!" Kagome grinned slightly. "The president of the company was very… interesting."_

"_Oh?" Eri practically purred, "explain interesting."_

"_His name is Sesshomaru Nakamura. He's young, for starters, and he didn't look like, well… business company material."_

"_Do go on…." Eri was close to drooling._

"_He was handsome, that was certain, almost elfish looking you know? But he was very… chilling. He had long white hair, stern face, the man never cracked a smile, and he had… claws."_

"_Oh baby, tell me where and I'm there!" Eri purred._

"_Claws?" Yuka looked stunned._

_Kagome shrugged. "Well, claws may be the wrong thing to say. His nails were long, but at least they were well manicured."_

"_And he just called and said here's some money'?" Eri quipped._

"_Technically. He said he had known many of my university professors and colleagues at Simon Fraser, and had learned of my interests. He also said that he had never met anyone with as much knowledge and history in the Shikon legend as I did. He's a real folklore buff, and had plenty of funds to spare, saying something about tax breaks or some mumbo jumbo, and before I knew it, he had bought me a ticket to Tokyo with enough funding and supplies to keep me going for a year!" Kagome smiled happily._

"_Sounds like a dream come true." Ayume smiled._

"_That certainly does sound like it." Yuka nodded._

"_And the catch is?" Eri leaned forward._

_Kagome looked at Eri before playing with the remainder of her cake. "The catch. Well, one, I have to bring my results to him first and foremost'" she quoted with her fingers, "to review before I bring my dissertation to the board. The second," Kagome cringed, "he gave me a partner."_

"_A partner?" They all replied._

"_Yup, his brother."_

"_Oh mother, have mercy!" Eri practically came in her pants._

"_So what's he like?" Yuka gasped._

"_I don't know. I haven't met him yet. I'll be meeting him at the shrine next week."_

"_Next week!" Yuka cried._

"_Shit, girl, when are you leaving?" Eri looked dumbfounded._

_Kagome cringed. "Wednesday."_

"_That's four days away!" Yuka blared._

"_Why so soon?" Eri snapped._

"_He gave me a contract, and it starts next week." She sighed, "No time like the present, eh?"_

"_It truly is an end of an era." Ayume replied sadly._

Kagome placed the picture of the four of them together back in the envelope and placed it in her book bag. She had finally seated herself comfortably with a book in her hand and her mp3 player at the ready. Her overnight bag with her laptop rested under her chair. Yup, she was ready for any onset of boredom. She sighed and leaned against the window. _Ahhh… window seats, the next best thing to first class_.'

She was content to watch the tarmac outside, her last sights of Canada for a year before setting down in her childhood homeland. Well, content for only a moment it seemed. Scuffling and growling caught her attention up ahead. Kagome peered her head up over the seats in front of her to see the same man from the ticket counter. He seemed to be telling off the stewardess, who was frantically pointing in her direction, while he vehemently shook his head. Kagome glanced at the now filled seats all around her then to the empty seat beside her.

_Oh shit, no. If there is a god….'_

A very pissed off Adonis collapsed in the seat beside her.

Kagome turned to smile politely, only for it to be slapped off her face by his gruff voice.

"Don't think that because I am forced to sit next to you that you have any right to talk to me or even look at me, Bitch!"

Kagome's jaw dropped before she quickly recovered. "Well, aren't you a treat."

The man spun his head to glare at her before his look turned to surprise, confusion, then finally annoyance. "Keh."

_Wonderful, a day and a bit with Mr. Sunshine._ Kagome looked at the distance between them. _And a whole five inches of personal space between us._

She crossed her arms and slumped in her chair. This was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"The Captain has removed the fasten seatbelt sign overhead. You are free to move around the cabin though we ask that you remain seated as our staff will be going around with drinks and complimentary snacks."

Kagome squirmed. She was deeply regretting that bottled water she had before take off.

She looked in the corner of her eye. The prick was reading a magazine. _Maxim. Now there's a shocker_.' She held her breath, and stared at the back of the seat in front of her. Her bladder churned making her wince involuntarily. _Fuck this, I'm not about to have some jackass ruin my flight_.'

She stood and looked down at the man. His gray eyes flicked up at her before going back to the magazine. He chuckled softly as he read a distasteful article aloud, "Pulled them out like a rip cord on a lawnmower, priceless."

Kagome cleared her throat. Still the man did not budge. "May I?" She politely asked.

He turned the page of his magazine and kept reading.

"Sir, please, if I may get out."

He pulled a corner aside to look up at her, and smirked, before hiding his face once again behind the cover of a scantily clad woman, obviously the flavor of the month in the media.

Kagome growled and began to knee at his legs. "Listen, you baka, if you don't move, you will be getting…. Umph!" A jolt of turbulence caused her to topple and fall on his lap, her face against his toned, and very erotic smelling, chest. What was worse, his arms had instinctively reached out to catch her and now held her to him.

"I'll be getting what, my little wench?" He purred.

Kagome gaped up at him and struggled to stand, knocking his hands from her. She had to slouch or end up banging her head on the overhead. Unfortunately, this position made for an interesting view of her cleavage and a green-spandex bra under her Kermit the Frog My Pad or Yours?' t-shirt.

The man flicked his gaze from her eyes to her breasts. He licked his lips seductively and looked back up at her. "It's not easy, being green." He sang and smirked.

In shock, Kagome never realized what she had done until she saw a red stain flood his white cheek and a stunned look settled on his face. She couldn't believe she slapped him!

She blushed furiously and quickly stepped over him to the aisle and made it to the bathroom, impervious to a few clapping hands from those who witnessed her attack.

She spent a few minutes in the small cubicle trying to relax and settle her temper. She wasn't ready to face the man yet, but damned if he made her feel this way. _What an ass!_' He was the most infuriating person she had ever met!

A knocking at the door made her start. She opened the door only to see the very man she wanted to avoid.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She looked back, giving him a cold glare.

He sighed, "Listen, princess, others need to go too, and there are only so many johns."

Kagome flushed slightly seeing the small line behind him and stepped out and made her way back to her seat. A few minutes later the Jerk,' she now officially named him, flopped in beside her.

A few tense minutes passed. Kagome tried to pass her time away by glancing at her Japanese language book.

Her Japanese mother raised her and her little brother Souta alone after their father died. They had moved to Canada from Japan when she was eleven for her mother's new job. Her mother tried to keep up their original language, but soon English was the norm, especially for a teenager who didn't think much on tradition. It wasn't until she started university that she got back to her roots, but by that time the damage was done. Sure she could carry on a regular conversation and could get by reading a Japanese newspaper, but a few words still escaped her. What better way than to read a language dictionary to freshen up her language skills, and ignore handsome jerks in the process?

"I think you and I got on a bad start."

She jumped slightly and turned to him and glared. "No, my start was fine, thank you."

"Whatever, I'm trying to make peace here." He crossed his arms and snorted. His gray eyes stared grumpily at the seat in front of him.

"I'm sorry, you're right." She waited for him to reply.

No response.

She sighed. "My name is Kagome." She stretched her hand to him.

He looked at her hand before flicking his eyes up at her. "InuYasha."

Kagome raised her brows.

"What?" He snapped.

"You're name," Kagome shook her head, "never mind."

"What about my name?" He demanded, looking annoyed.

"Just the meaning, that's all."

He searched her over fully. "Yeah…? Dog Demon…. So?"

Kagome tried to hide her smile. "Sorry, my Japanese is still a little rusty, I just thought Yasha meant female demon."

"What!" He growled at her. A few people shushed him but he ignored them. "What the fuck are you saying, Bitch?"

"Nothing, just if my translation is correct, you're the Bitch." Kagome giggled and waved her language book in front of him.

"Give me that!" He lurched toward her and grabbed the book from her hands, flipping through the pages. His eyes widened before he tore the incriminating sheet from the book.

"Hey!" Kagome reached for the page he tore and the book in his hands.

"Keh. There." He tossed the book onto her lap and shred the sheet in front of her.

"That's my book! What the hell?" She took the book and smacked his arm with it.

"Ow, hey!" He laughed. "It had false advertising."

"Advertising? You idiot, it was a language dictionary!" She tried not to smile. She liked the sound of his laugh and began to relax now that he seemed to do the same. "Besides, what kind of name is Dog Demon anyway? Were your parents new age hippies or something?"

InuYasha looked her over, quietly assessing her mood, and smirked, "No. What kind of name is Woven Bamboo?"

Kagome looked at him. "Huh?"

"Kagome means woven bamboo or some shit. Does that make you a basket case?" He turned his head back to his chair and closed his eyes, still holding that damned smirk.

Kagome sat stunned then giggled. _Woven bamboo?_'

InuYasha glimpsed back over at her, eyeing her with intrigue. She had turned her head to look out the window, seemingly forgetting about him and the shredded book. He shook his head and picked up his magazine. Woven Bamboo was at least smiling. _Yup, she's a basket case_.' He mused.

* * *

"Chicken, beef or vegetarian?"

"Vegetarian." Kagome replied.

"Sir?"

"…Beef." The man sighed contrarily.

The stewardess handed them their meals and walked up to the next aisle.

"Vegetarian? Please tell me you're not one of those.'" InuYasha snottily replied before biting into the gray husk they called beef.

Kagome looked at his meal with distain. "Those?"

"Yeah," he swallowed, "yoga-bending-tree-hugging-can't eat anything that had a mother person."

Kagome gaped at him and then grinned. The morning and afternoon had passed like this. She and InuYasha had gradually chatted on and off during the day. After their initial setback, both their conversations and silent moments were undeniably comfortable, and oddly enough, fun, though their conversations mostly consisted of bickering and mild teasing.

"How stereotypical of you. But no, I'm not a vegetarian, but I know for a fact you can't mess up vegetables, whereas," she grimaced at his plate, "that, you can never really tell what it is."

"Hmmm," he took another large bite, "a bold flavor, with a hint of nutmeg to mask the gym mat and soccer sock aftertaste."

Kagome laughed, "I don't envy your tongue right now."

"Oh?" He swallowed and grinned. "You envied it before? You shouldn't have to, it rather loves company." He flicked it out at her teasingly.

Kagome cocked an eyebrow and looked at him with a slight grin on her face, as if mocking him. "Ah yes, but something that can be so easily obtained is often easily forgotten."

He flicked his eyes over her and smirked before turning back to his meal.

It was about time when their meal was over that Kagome felt okay enough to ask him. "InuYasha?"

"Hmm?"

"Why were you such a prick this morning?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, "What the hell are you getting on with now?"

"Well," Kagome poked at a supposed grape in her hardened jell-o, "at the baggage counter for instance."

"Oh," for a moment Kagome thought she saw him blush slightly, "let's just say it's been a long time since I've had to sit in coach, and now for some unknown reason I can't see why I would hate it so much." He grimaced at the jell-o cup on his own tray. Smells of a four-course meal flitted across his sensitive nose from executive class. Damn blue curtains separated him from sweet agonizing relief of this metal hell they called economy.

Kagome smiled shyly. "No, not that." _Though you were a little immature._' "I mean, when I walked by you, you turned and looked at me as if you hated me. And when you sat beside me today…."

"Oh… right… that." InuYasha scowled. "Yeah, sorry about that. Call it mistaken identity."

Kagome rested her head back against her seat and looked at him curiously, before turning away and closing her eyes. "Hmm… then remind me to never get on your bad side."

"What do you mean?"

Kagome turned her head and opened her eyes to stare into a stormy gray gaze. She studied his features for a moment. "I think it's easy enough to say it's not safe to be there."

He leaned closer to her, his face inches from hers. "And why is that?"

Kagome's eyes settled on his lips, her tongue darting out to moisten her lower lip instinctively. She caught that lip between her teeth when she noticed InuYasha staring down at them. "Just because of the way you carry yourself."

"And I carry myself how?" He asked huskily.

"Like a spoiled brat who will go in a tantrum unless he gets his way."

InuYasha darted his eyes up to hers, only to see them closed and her mouth open in a massive yawn.

"Besides," she sighed, trying to fight sleep, "I much rather your good side. You're sexy when you smile, especially when you take that damn smirk off your face."

_Did she just call me sexy?_' He smirked then chuckled. He could forgive her last blatant remark for that.

He opened his mouth to respond, but saw she was already drifting asleep. He decided to have fun with her in the morning. Besides, it was a long flight to Tokyo.

* * *

"Good morning, Sunshine, you look like shit."

"Bite me, Jackass." Kagome yawned and wiped her sleep filled eyes.

"Gladly. But first scope out that morning breath."

Kagome turned her head and glared at the brazen bastard who looked way too fresh and clean for first thing in the morning. She fumbled in her yellow backpack for her overnight kit. The Jerk' was right, she did feel a little gummy in the mouth, but he didn't have to be so forward about it.

She got up and clumsily crawled over him, digging her knee in an attempt to Charlie horse his thigh.

His cursed complaints were enough to make her smile. So far it was a good morning.

After fifteen minutes of line up, bio break and mini bath out of the bucket sink, Kagome shifted back into her own seat.

"So…." InuYasha smiled. "Where're you heading?"

Kagome glimpsed out the window. Clouds shrouded any ideas of where they might be at the moment. "Well, if I'm on the right plane, Tokyo."

"Obviously, but the reason being? You look Japanese, sort of, but certainly don't act like it. Let me guess, going to school?"

Kagome cast her gaze at him. "School?"

"Oh yeah," he teased, "School girl. I can just see you now, green mini skirt, short white blouse, and little red tie to pull it all together. Yup, a hentai waiting to be written."

Kagome whacked his chest, "You perv, what is with men wanting women in school girl uniforms?"

"Well, its not just school girl uniforms." He counted his fingers, "There's nurses, and maids and I think Princess Leia is still popular."

"And to think, all this while I could have been laid if I had only gotten dressed. And here I was sleeping naked and alone like a sucker." Kagome rolled her eyes.

InuYasha looked slightly stunned at her response before slowly smiling.

"Shut up." Kagome spat not even looking at the man but knowing what was going on in his narrow mind. She flushed slightly though, wondering what it would be like if he ever saw her naked. He had a quality about him she couldn't place, and aside from his jackass exterior, he was rather … charming in a perverted sort of way.

He snickered and scratched his stomach lazily.

_Maybe not_.' She rolled her eyes. "No."

"Huh?"

"No, I'm not a student." Kagome tried to get back on target. "Well, not like you think."

"Oh?"

"I'm actually in the middle of a project." She proudly exclaimed. _Humph, shows him, actually got brains not just breasts._'

"A project, huh?" His eyes lifted in mild surprise. "In what?"

Kagome looked him over to gauge his interest. She shrugged, "Oriental folklore. I'll be conducting some research in the matter. Maybe even some relic hunting."

"Oh so you're like Lara Croft? Damn, that's hot." His face was trying to hide a laugh.

She wasn't about to take the bait, and was slightly irked at the Lara Croft crap. As if that was never asked before.

"No," she mused, "she was a tomb raider, and sold what she stole for profit. My type is Indiana Jones; at least he donated his goods to a museum. Besides, who can resist a man with a whip?" She growled sexily before laughing airily.

InuYasha's eyes gleamed in wicked delight as he eyed her with more interest.

Kagome noticed and leaned toward him seductively.

"InuYasha," she breathed, letting her eyes drift to a rosary made of purple beads and white fangs that hung semi hidden around his neck.

"Hmm?" He relaxed into the back of his seat and watched her lazily.

"Do you like it rough?" She slowly dragged her gaze up to his.

InuYasha leaned toward her, closing the distance, leaving only inches away from each other's lips. "The rougher, the better…." He murmured, his eyes drifting down towards her chest. He let out a slight groan as he did so.

"Good," she purred as she watched his eyes travel down, before latching onto his nipple and twisting hard.

"OW! Fuck, Bitch! What was that for!" He growled and rubbed his sore chest.

"To teach you to stop looking at me like that!" Kagome barked and turned to look out the window, crossing her arms in fierce annoyance. "Gods, do you have to turn everything into sex?"

She was surprised to hear him laughing so easily after what she just did and turned to face him again.

"Actually, I'm not normally like this," he smiled and sighed, "somehow you just bring it out of me."

"How lucky for me." She rolled her eyes.

"You'd be surprised."

Kagome looked at him confused, "What do you mean by that?"

InuYasha smiled sheepishly, still rubbing his tender nipple, before quickly turning his head away from her. His trademark smirk graced his face. "That I should even care to like you, especially since you lead such a dull existence. Research and museums? Just means I'll have to give you a taste of me so you can die happy."

"You dog!" She laughed.

InuYasha flicked his gaze at her before grinning coyly.

Smiling in contemplation while looking at him, Kagome slyly turned away. "Ah, but a taste would never satisfy me, and I would guarantee it would never satisfy you."

InuYasha watched her with a smile traced with skepticism. "So certain?"

Kagome flushed and smiled secretively. "Certainly." Without waiting for a response she put on her mp3 player, and turned to the window.

InuYasha looked her over and smiled in quiet thought. As he turned away he caught her beginning to sing softly, barely detectable over the drone of the plane's engines. With his acute hearing, he was able to hear the song through the earpieces, but inwardly enjoyed hearing her whisper the words.

"I can't get rid of you.  
I don't know what to do.  
I don't even know who is growing on who.  
'Cos everywhere I go you're there.  
I can't get you out of my hair.  
I can't pretend that I don't care - it's not fair.

I'm being punished for all my offences.  
I wanna touch you but I'm afraid of the consequences.  
I wanna banish you from whence you came.  
But you're part of me now,  
And I've only got myself to blame.

You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)  
You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)  
Any fool can see.

Sleeping in an empty bed.  
Can't get you off my head.  
I won't have a life until you're dead  
Yeah, you heard what I said.

I wanna shake you off but you just won't go,  
And you're all over me but I don't want anyone to know.  
That you're attached to me, that's how you've grown.  
Won't you leave me, leave me alone.

You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)  
You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)  
Any fool can see….

Kagome glanced over to watch InuYasha mouth the very words she was listening to. She quirked her eyebrows at him and tried to keep from laughing.

You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)  
You're really growing on me  
(Or am I growing on you?)"

Kagome took out the earpieces and looked at him while he mouthed the last bit of song. She couldn't hear it over the turbulence yet he acted as if he could hear it plain as day.

InuYasha turned and looked at her expression. "What?"

She looked at him coyly, "You have freakishly good ears to hear that over the plane."

He smirked slightly. "Nah, just recognized the tune. Big fan of The Darkness."

Kagome nodded slightly and smiled. "Well, if you're bored you can listen to them all you want." She held the mp3 player for him to take.

"No way! Might end up listening to Britney Spears or some shit!" He leaned away from the offending device.

Kagome laughed, "Oh please, and taint the classics? Well, if you're not interested, I'm sure Queen will understand."

"Holy shit! You listen to Queen?" He grabbed the set. "Fat Bottom Girls on there?"

Kagome smiled. "Only the best of the best grace these ears."

InuYasha winked and flicked his tongue at her before turning on the player. "I'll remember that."

She slapped his arm and laughed before reaching down to grab her laptop. May as well get some work done.

"Attention passengers, we will be landing momentarily so we request that you please remained seated, and that your seats and trays be placed in an upright position and electronic devises be turned off. It is bright and sunny in Tokyo, the temperature is 26 degrees Celsius, and the local time is 11:35am. We hope you enjoyed your flight and thank you for flying Air Canada, we hope to be flying with you again."

Kagome shut off her laptop that she had been working on in the last few hours and stowed it back into her bag. Glancing over at InuYasha she saw he was still asleep. The mp3 player had had long turned off since he depleted the batteries when he drifted off four hours ago.

He looked so sweet while he slept. Kagome couldn't help but watch him a few times over the last few hours. His face was relaxed and almost angelic since he couldn't hold a smirk while he slept. He must be a very heavy sleeper since the loud bong of the fasten seat belt' sign didn't even wake him.

Kagome leaned over, pulling the player from him. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, we're here."

He didn't move.

Kagome frowned and nudged him a bit. "InuYasha?"

Still he didn't budge.

She smiled wickedly and leaned over until her lips were a breath away from his ear and blew gently.

InuYasha turned his face towards her and opened his dark gray orbs at her. His eyes flashed wide. "Kikyo?"

Kagome was a bit stunned. "Um, close…. Kagome."

His eyes focused in realization. "Shit!" He tried to jump up quickly only to have the seat belt hold him down. "Fuck!" He hissed, as he settled down heavily and rubbed his hips.

Kagome looked concerned. "You okay there, Romeo? You look like you've seen a ghost."

InuYasha looked at her and rubbed his face. "You wouldn't be far off there."

"Old girlfriend? Can I assume my doppelganger that you loathe?" Kagome tried to smile but her stomach clenched at the idea. She turned her head away from him to gaze out the window.

The dark haired man looked her over quietly. "Nah, she's nothing compared to you." He smiled softly and yawned.

Kagome turned back to him and blushed slightly. "Ah, ever the charmer. I am going to miss you."

"Miss me?" He stretched.

"Yup, we're here. Almost time to part ways." Kagome cast her gaze out the window to see Japan in all its wonder, and secretly looked at his reflection in the glass.

InuYasha was quiet for a bit. He looked as if he was going to say something but changed his mind.

_Give him your email or cell number! Something, come on, anything!_ Her mind screamed.

She shrugged her shoulders in acceptance and turned back to him. "InuYasha?"

"Yeah?" He was packing away a few of his things.

"Mind if I gave you my email address?" She looked out the window again to see the tarmac below.

InuYasha looked at her and a grin twisted onto his face.

She turned to see that look and she crossed her arms. "Now don't get any ideas like sending me forwards of…." She glanced at him with a sly glint, "Just don't send me any forwards."

"Aw." He mocked frowned then flicked his eyebrows. "You got a web cam?"

Kagome sighed. "Okay, maybe giving you my email is a bad idea."

He laughed. "Maybe."

They both turned to watch the plane touch down in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Kagome lost sight of InuYasha as soon as they got off the plane. She sighed sadly and walked to the nearest bathroom to freshen up.

Walking out a few minutes later, Kagome felt like she was drowning in a sea of faces. Looking around quickly she followed the crowd to where she assumed the luggage would be. She recognized a few symbols and hoped she didn't look as foreign as she felt.

Standing by the conveyor for the incoming luggage, Kagome cast her gaze around curiously. So many people were talking on cell phones and the language was going too fast for her to keep up. She let it all filter into background noise as she searched the crowd.

_What am I doing? As if I can find him in all of this_.'

She turned back to the conveyor as it began to move and bags came down the shoot. She finally caught sight of hers and reached for it, only for a hand to beat her to it.

"Did you remember the kitchen sink too?" InuYasha wheezed dramatically as he lifted the suitcase to her side.

She stuck her tongue out at him and lifted two more bags from the conveyor. "That would've cost extra."

He smirked. "That all of it?"

Kagome nodded and looked around. "Where's your stuff?"

"Just my bag. All my stuff is here already." He picked up her larger suitcase and began to walk away.

"Where're you going?" She gaped and picked up the other two suitcases and followed.

"Helping you out of here. You were looking like a tourist back there." He grinned.

Catching up to walk beside him, she smiled coyly. "InuYasha, were you looking for me?"

He stalled. "No, what makes you think that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You have no luggage, why be by the luggage rack?"

A slight flush stained his cheeks. "Actually, I had intended to steal these very bags but it seems you came attached." He looked down at her and smiled. "Damn, you got me."

Kagome smiled openly as she looked ahead. "I'm glad you did, I was hoping to say goodbye before we left the plane, but now is better."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Kagome looked up at him and grinned, "it means I get to see you longer."

InuYasha smiled genuinely back at her.

They walked to the exit doors and put down the luggage.

"Um, do you need a ride anywhere?" InuYasha asked quickly.

Kagome shook her head. "No, my grandfather is picking me up, though I think I would be safer riding with a monkey."

InuYasha grinned. "Can't be all that bad."

Kagome looked up at him. "Wait til you see him, then you might agree. Maybe it will be safer if you left now to get ahead of him." She frowned as she looked out the windows.

InuYasha chuckled. "I'll take my chances."

Kagome smiled shyly. "Um, you don't have to wait here, you know. I'm sure someone is waiting for you."

InuYasha grinned devilishly and crossed his arms. "I don't have a girlfriend or mate or whatever it is you're implying."

"I wasn't implying anything, you stupid ass," Kagome blushed and crossed her arms as well. "I thought maybe you had family or friends or even a fish that actually liked your company. Though for the life of me I don't know why."

InuYasha looked down at her and gave her nudge on her shoulder with his arm. "Keh. You could have had worse."

Nudging back, Kagome grinned, "Yeah, you could have been. But I'm glad I got to know you."

InuYasha appeared thoughtful for a while before he spoke. "Kagome, I was wondering…."

"Kagome-chan!"

"Ojii-san!"

Kagome ran over to an old man and hugged him. Her grandfather resembled, for lack of a better word, a monkey. He was short, stocky, and his face reminded InuYasha of a baboon he once saw in a zoo. The man carried himself with authority and was dressed in a traditional garb. By the look of him he seemed he would exorcize a car rather than drive one.

"How was your flight?"

Kagome quickly switched to Japanese to talk to her grandfather. "Long, but great. Let me introduce you to someone." She led him over to InuYasha.

"This is InuYasha. InuYasha, this is…."

"Mr. Higurashi." Her grandfather bowed.

InuYasha bowed as well.

"Are you Kagome's suitor?" Gramps blatantly asked.

"Grandpa!" Kagome scolded.

InuYasha smiled. "No, sir, I am not. Unfortunately."

Kagome blushed as he winked subtly at her. She was going to miss his teasing.

"Hmm." Mr. Higurashi frowned. "Well, it was nice meeting you, what did you say your name was?"

"Takahashi, InuYasha."

Kagome looked at him slightly perplexed, but shook her head slightly. The name sounded oddly familiar.

"Hmm. Are you ready, Kagome?" Gramps asked.

Kagome smiled sheepishly at InuYasha, "Yes, let me get my bags."

"Here, let me." InuYasha gathered up two of the heavier bags as if they weighed nothing.

Kagome blinked dumbly as she watched both men walk out of the airport, one carrying over a hundred pounds of luggage as if they were filled with pillows.

Once her bags were placed in the car, Kagome turned to InuYasha and spoke in English. "Thank you… and good-bye." Smiling sadly she reached out her hand.

InuYasha looked at her hand, smiled and winked. "Later."

He walked away leaving Kagome standing there watching him. But for some reason she smiled and got into the car. Somehow she knew she wouldn't see the last of him.

Song used in this chapter was Growing on Me, by The Darkness.


	2. Partner

Kagome opened her bleary eyes to focus on the clock sitting on the bedside table and a muffled scream escaped her lips. "I'M LATE!"

From somewhere down stairs the startled yell of her grandfather and the sound of him falling from his chair rattled up through the ceiling. The noise of it didn't filter through to Kagome's ears as she jumped out of bed.

"What ever is the matter, girl?" Gramps shouted up to her.

"No time, Grandpa!" Kagome yelped as she rushed out of her room, wearing her blue puppy pajamas. "I have to get ready!"

Mr. Higurashi just shook his head as he picked his newspaper up off the floor, thinking to himself. _Fool girl may be a woman, but she still has the mentality of a teenager_.

He could hear a shower starting up and the scream of his granddaughter again. "COLD!"

Three minutes later he watched her toweled body slide from the bathroom to crash into her bedroom. Sounds of boxes falling over made it evident what she'd landed upon. He howled in anguish at the thought of his mementos breaking in those boxes. "Kagome? What are you doing!"

Sounds of a muffled response were followed by another thud.

"What did you say?" He shouted back.

"I said," Kagome huffed coming out of her room, hopping up and down trying to put on a pair of socks and brush her hair at the same time, "I only have an hour until my new partner shows and I have yet to get everything perfect for him."

He sighed. "I still don't understand why you are so worked up about this."

Kagome slid down the banister to land in front of him and kissed his cheek before running to the kitchen. "I am worked up because I don't want Mr. Nakamura's brother to look at me as if I were an amateur! I want him to understand that I'm in charge and not the other way around."

Gramps shook his head and smiled proudly at her as he followed her in the kitchen. "He will know how wonderful you are when he meets you."

Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I really appreciate that, Gramps, but you have no idea what this guy has accomplished!" She grabbed a bowl from the cupboard to make a hasty breakfast. "When I met with Mr. Nakamura, the thought of having a partner was not really welcomed, but I accepted it because I needed the money. He showed me his brother's credentials." She slapped her bowl of cereal onto the table in vexation before walking to the fridge. "The man should be running a university, not doing library work with me!"

"I'm sure you're just being dramatic." Gramps waved her off and sat at the table after he had poured himself some tea.

"Oh really?" Kagome took a folder, close to an inch thick, out of the bag that rested beside her at the kitchen table and slapped it down in front of him.

Gramps raised an eyebrow. "Eh? What's that?"

"His credentials." She slumped down in her chair beside him and proceeded to pour milk into her cereal. "He has a B.A. in history, philosophy AND mathematics Where was he when I was in school?" She whined and shoved a spoonful of cereal into her unhappy mouth.

"That's not so bad." He looked at her with a supportive smile.

"He has an M.A. in ancient history and archaeology."

"So do you."

"And Business! He has a PhD in archaeology and history on top of a diploma in applied ethics. He speaks seventeen languages; I didn't even know there were that many!" Kagome rubbed her eyes despairingly and she pushed her cereal bowl away from her, her appetite long gone. "He even spent two years at Harvard studying law!"

"Oh my… only two?" Gramps muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"He got bored! And quit the program!" Kagome grimaced in despair and flopped her face on the folder in front of her.

"He got bored? Are you sure he wasn't just kicked out?"

Kagome looked up at him wearily, knowing her grandfather was clutching at straws trying to make her feel better, so she tossed the sheet in front of him.

"TOP OF HIS CLASS AND HE QUIT?" His eyes looked like leaking saucers.

"I know!" Kagome covered her eyes. "And this man is my partner. Aside from all the education, he has experience as well, he must be about sixty years old from all that he's accomplished. I feel like Mr. Nakamura just sent his brother to be my babysitter, not my partner. That's why I have to make it perfect, so he can see what a responsible and serious person I am!"

Gramps looked at her skeptically. "Well, if that is what you want to accomplish, maybe you should replace your shirt."

Kagome glanced down at her t-shirt shirt with Naughty Boy, Go To My Room!' plastered across her breasts. She blushed furiously. "I can't believe I grabbed this one! Thanks, Gramps!" She bolted back upstairs, resulting again in the storage boxes in her room being knocked over. "Sorry!" A muted voice called down.

Gramps just shook his head. _Fool girl just might have cause for worry.

* * *

_

InuYasha stood at the top of the shrine steps, looking around steadily and frowned, it had been awhile. The place may have changed its exterior, but it felt the same. He inhaled deeply and let it out in a grunted sigh. "It smells… different than it once did." He muttered to himself, but then why is this scent familiar? He shrugged it off.

InuYasha cast one more glance around casually before he flicked back a lock of his long black hair. He decided to leave it free today, if anything to piss of this woman his brother had sent him to meet, whom he was sure to be a prude. However, he did dress to impress. He wore a tailored gray suit, and carried a black satchel with his laptop and a few other folders. One such folder held the woman's credentials.

The man sighed. _So this is where the shrew lives huh? Best get this over with and meet the old bat. Hope she doesn't mind me being early_. He thought to himself before heading along.

He hadn't been too pleased when Sesshomaru told him he'd arranged for a partner for him. For years he had been searching for the Shikon jewel alone, the last thing he wanted was a partner. He thought he had made that point quite clear when he met with Sesshomaru last week, but leave it for his older half-brother to complicate things. Sesshomaru believed this woman would have better knowledge of the Shikon Jewel than any of the others he'd met so far, and thought her services would prove be useful. Then to top it off he told InuYasha that he refused to support him anymore unless he took the wench along.

But then again, having a partner may not be too bad. It wasn't like she was going to get the jewel, just tell him where to find it. All she was good for was getting the information they needed and then she could go on her merry way, while he used the information to seek the jewel without further assistance or nuisance.

Besides, where most were concerned, the Shikon Jewel was just a legend, like the Loch Ness monster or the Holy Grail. Only a select few get by their biases to seek the truth behind them, and he highly doubted this woman would be one of them. She was just gathering information for a stupid paper or so Sesshomaru said. InuYasha would ultimately just use her research to search for the real thing. That is of course; if the old wench had any relevant information that he did not already have himself, but that remained to be seen. This year was for her to gather more information inconspicuously with his help, then she could go away and he would carry on his search alone. Assuming he could stand the woman for a whole year.

He already had pictured what she was like after skimming over her curriculum vitae. A greasy haired, knobby kneed, bucktoothed biddy. Fuck, her credentials pretty much spelled recluse! She had a B.A. in archaeology, physical anthropology AND folklore. She had an M.A. in archaeology and ancient history, a diploma in heritage resources and now getting a PhD in whatever. She held a 3.7 grade point average and had worked in four different major museums, as well as been on as many acclaimed digs! This woman reeked of business and no personality. Even her hobbies were dull: herb gardens, bike riding and archery? Even her name had sounded boring… what was it again?

Stepping up to the Shrine keeper's house, his hand poised above the door about to knock when he heard a crash some where off the other side of the house. His ears perked in curiosity and he went around to the side of the house to have a look. His eyes widened as a cloud of dust wafted from the open door of the temple's storage shed. What surprised him even more was the shapely figure of a woman carrying boxes walking through the dust towards him. His mouth dropped.

"InuYasha?" Kagome looked surprised and then smiled brightly. "What are you doing here?"

The dark haired man dragged his eyes up her. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a white t-shirt, which showed her perfectly curvy figure. Her beautiful body was covered in dust and scrolls poked out between her arms. All of a sudden a dawning realization lit up inside him. "Howdy, partner!" He smiled.

The dropping of boxes on the ground was her only response.

* * *

Kagome fussed in the kitchen trying to get the tea in order. "I still can't believe it!"

InuYasha grinned as he sat watching her move from one end of the kitchen to the other. "Am I that unbelievable?"

She shot him a wry glance and poured hot water into the teapot. "Stop kidding yourself."

He winked. "Who's kidding whom? I can always show you."

Kagome sighed and grinned. "Where do you come up with all that?" She set the tray with the cups and teapot down on the table and poured it for him.

"I have a good teacher, but I am no where near his lecherous skills." He laughed as he sipped the tea. His eyes widened slightly in pleasure, normally he hated tea and drank it out of politeness, but this stuff was actually good, sweet and fresh. What the hell was in it?

"Like it?" Kagome smiled. "It's my own blend. A mixture of herbs and berries I grew in the garden back home. Not only does it taste good, it's good for you. I only managed to smuggle over a few tea bags, so consider yourself lucky."

He smiled. _Herb gardens, huh?_

Kagome looked him over approvingly, scanning his gray suit and gray eyes, but then cast her gaze down and smiled slightly when she realized he was watching her appraisal of him.

"What?" He asked as he sipped his tea again.

She looked at him, or more specifically at his rosary. "Nothing really. I had this whole visit planned out. But now that I know you're my partner, it doesn't seem fitting anymore."

"Oh, and why is that?" He studied her briefly before looking down at his tea. _Damn she smells good. __Sweet and fresh._

"Namely a lot of information we have to go through is stored away." She looked him over, grinning slightly as her eyes narrowed in challenge. "And my bedroom is one of the storage places."

He flicked his eyes up at her and laughed. "Sorry, that would be too easy."

"I'm glad you think that way, so I've changed my tactics." She smiled slyly.

"So no bedroom?" He sulked and then grinned.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Let's go." She stood and walked to the door leading to the shrine grounds.

InuYasha downed the rest of his tea and followed after her.

Outside, the morning was fresh and alive, the sun was warm though a cool wind flowed through the holy grounds. As Kagome stepped out into it, the soft wind lifted a few strands of her ebony hair to tickle her cheek. With easy grace she tucked the strands behind one of her ears.

InuYasha did not realize how such a small gesture could look so beautiful. He stopped suddenly and cringed. _What the hell is coming over me?_

Kagome turned to look at him thoughtfully and saw his mind was somewhere else. His eyes almost looked sad.

"Yasha?" Kagome tilted her head. "You okay there, sport?"

He looked up at her quickly and smirked. "Yeah, I'm fine, think the tea is giving me heart burn."

She scowled and stuck her tongue out at him. "What heart? Come on."

He chuckled and followed behind her.

Kagome walked over towards a closed hut. "This shrine has been in our family for twelve generations," she smiled proudly, "and everything you see here has a legend."

"Uh huh." InuYasha flicked his eyes around and settled on looking bored.

Kagome sighed. "Okay, I can see giving you the grand tour will be pointless and aggravating, so I'll just show you the major highlights so you don't get lost… ingrate." She muttered.

InuYasha chuckled softly.

"This is the Bone Eaters Well." Kagome slid open the door to the hut they were standing in front of and walked into the darkness.

InuYasha moved to stand at the open doorway to gaze in. Kagome was sitting on the lip of the well below. He grinned and walked down the stairs to stand in front of her, scanning around and settling on her. "Bone Eaters Well, huh? Sounds sexy."

Kagome groaned. "You're worse than Souta."

"Souta?" InuYasha's eyes turned hard, thankful that Kagome could not see them in the darkness.

"My little brother." She replied. "He's supposed to take over the responsibilities of the shrine when Gramps passes, but like you, he doesn't understand the seriousness of the shrine."

InuYasha felt oddly relieved at the mention of her brother, but then grimaced at her slight scolding. "I'm sorry. I'm listening, really." He sat next to her on the wooden rim.

Kagome flushed guiltily. "No, you shouldn't feel sorry, I'm not much better at honoring the shrine either in all honesty." She then laughed at what seemed to be a fond memory. "You see, the Bone Eaters Well was said to be a link through various dimensions or planes of existence, or something like that, because bones of the dead would be dropped into this well and the next day the bones were gone. Souta and I were always freaked out. Every time we came to visit Gramps we would drop chicken bones into it just to see if they disappeared. He was so pissed at us. He said that we were desecrating the shrine. That didn't stop us from doing it though." Kagome grinned and pointed down behind her. "See?"

InuYasha turned to look at the dried dirt at the base of the well and could make out small bones.

"I had hot wings last night." Kagome whispered beside him. "Shhhh."

InuYasha barked out a laugh.

Kagome shivered suddenly and hopped off the well. "Let's get out of here."

InuYasha smirked. "Still freaked out by it?"

Kagome shook her head. "Not because of the story. There's lots of bugs in here, and centipedes the size of your head." She pointed to one crawling near where she had been sitting, then made to walk up the stairs before InuYasha stopped her.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" She looked back towards the well.

"That scratching noise." InuYasha said, frowning.

Kagome walked past him, moving around to the other side of the well. "Oh, Buyo." She hefted a fat calico cat into her arms. "You're not supposed to be in here."

She carried the cat up and out of the well house, while InuYasha slid the door shut behind them. "Buyo?" InuYasha looked at the cat warily. "Doesn't that imply…?"

"Fat?" Kagome tried to drop the cat on the ground, instead the cat oozed out of her arms like jell-o out of a mould. "Gramps wasn't too imaginative when he named him. He's not very fond of cats."

"Then why have him?" InuYasha nudged the obese cat with his foot, making the cat flop over on its side.

Kagome shook her head at him. "Remember that I said everything here has a legend?"

"Buyo has a legend?" InuYasha scoffed and kept nudging the cat, making the fat feline meow in protest but still it wouldn't move.

"Stop that!" Kagome giggled, pulling the man away from the poor thing. "No, not Buyo specifically, cats in general. Apparently cats are guardian creatures and are considered very lucky and Gramps is very superstitious - enough in fact, to get a guardian for the shrine even though he hates cats."

"Ah," InuYasha watched the fat calico heave its body up and waddle away. "Keh. He appears well looked after."

"Which could also probably explain the missing bones in the well." Kagome grinned and gestured InuYasha to follow. She stopped suddenly and turned to face him. "You know, Bone Eaters Well really does sound sleazy."

"Sexy, not sleazy." InuYasha reminded her and winked.

Kagome looked at him lazily. "Mhmm." She smirked. "Come on."

He grinned and followed.

She led him to the back of the main house towards a large tree. "So what do you know of the Shikon legend?" Kagome asked as she sat on a bench near the tree while InuYasha sat beside her.

InuYasha didn't reply at first, casting his gaze at one of the lower branches, his face thoughtful. "As much as the next I suppose - the Jewel of Four Souls was guarded by a miko, some demon wanted it and stole it, miko killed him, miko died, jewel never seen again."

"Ah the gist of it." Kagome smiled. "Got to love the cliff notes of a good story."

InuYasha grinned and moved to sit beside her. "So why don't you tell me the story, Ms. Higurashi?" His eyes gleamed shrewdly.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, I don't know if you know, but this tree part of the legend."

InuYasha nodded. "The Goshinboku Tree."

Kagome looked at him stunned and nodded. "Yeah, the God Tree. How did you know that?"

InuYasha's lips turned in a small smile. "I grew up around here. I used to come to this very tree when I was a boy just to get away from the everyday. Guess I heard the story somewhere." He shrugged.

"Hmm. Most likely from Gramps, he's very proud of the legends of the Shrine." Kagome looked up into the branches. "I came to this tree too. See that branch right there?" She pointed to the branch he was looking at when they first arrived.

He nodded.

"When I was sad or upset I used to climb the God Tree and sit on that very branch. Many times Momma or Gramps would see me sleeping up there and used to yell at me because they thought I would fall." She looked at InuYasha smugly. "I never did though, I always felt safe as if there was someone there to protect me from all the pain and confusion. It was there that I felt most at peace." She sighed. "I know, weird, huh?"

InuYasha let his eyes flow from the girl beside him to the branch overhead. He frowned slightly. "Yeah, a little."

Kagome flicked her head at the tree. "You said you came here as a kid?" She looked him over quickly. "You don't look much older than me. Maybe we met before."

InuYasha turned to look into her light brown eyes and gave a slight shrug. "Maybe."

Kagome smiled. "Well, it feels like we've met before. I don't think I've ever gotten along with anyone as well as I do with you."

InuYasha just smiled and nodded toward the tree. "So what part of the legend makes this tree so important that you brought me out here?"

"Oh, right, yeah." Kagome waved nonchalantly. "Guess if I have to tell the story I should start at the beginning." She sighed. "Okay. The Shikon no Tama, Jewel of Four Souls, was given to a miko, a holy priestess, of high regard. She was said to have the power to purify the jewel and be able to keep it safe from the evil miasmas that could taint it. For years she kept the jewel, but because she carried the lone responsibility of protecting it, she lived her life in solitary."

InuYasha shot his gaze over to her. "I never heard that part of the story. Why would she force herself to live separate from everyone?"

Kagome smiled. "Many mikos make it a point to be with others, since it is their calling, but the miko in this story was often described as a loner, so I just assumed she made it a choice. It was something I believed she did because she did not have confidence in her heart." She looked away in reflection. "If a heart is true to itself no one could taint it, but I believe this miko doubted her powers, doubted her heart. So she decided to keep her self at a distance so her doubt could not be corrupted and used against her. She worried it might taint the jewel."

InuYasha blinked at her then looked at the tree as if trying to see through it. "I guess."

"But she did allow one to be close to her." Kagome said softly.

InuYasha flicked his gaze up along the tree as if looking for something interesting and waited for her to continue. "Oh?"

"A young demon had heard of the jewel, and had tried to steal it many times. Each time she thwarted his attempts, but she never killed him. She must have seen that he was alone as well. I think she took pity on him, because she saw he was very much like her."

"What makes you think that?" His silver eyes darted to her face while he frowned in consternation.

"According to the legend, he wanted to wish on the jewel to make him into a full fledged demon. I think perhaps he must have felt very alone if he wanted to use the jewel so badly for such a selfish and evil purpose." Kagome looked thoughtful. "He wanted to be better than all those around him and I suppose the only way he could have felt so awful about himself in the first place, was if someone else convinced him he was weak."

InuYasha studied her silently before looking down to the ground as she continued.

"I also think this demon was a hanyou, a half demon. Because if he were already full demon, why would he wish upon the jewel to be one or need more power if he is already strong enough?"

"That's an interesting assumption." InuYasha said distractedly as he leaned his elbows onto his thighs. Dark strands fell from his shoulders to mask his face as examined a blade of grass between his feet intently before reaching down and plucking it.

Kagome looked over at him and smiled softly. "I think the miko and demon found a kindred spirit within each other. They saw each other as someone solitary like themselves and I think they really needed someone, so in a way they had each other. Not the best way to start a relationship though."

InuYasha tore the blade of grass between his fingers strip by strip. "Oh, and why is that?"

Kagome tilted her head slightly at him, confused by his attitude. "Because of doubt. The miko already had doubt in her heart toward others, and the demon had felt doubt of others towards his heart. It is because of all this doubt that their love ended so tragically."

Kagome could hear the smirk in his tone. "You sound like a Literature major."

"Hardly!" Kagome scoffed. "Next to math it was one of my worse subjects. But I grew up with this story, as you can see." She waved her hand around the shrine grounds.

"Humph." He snorted wistfully.

She sighed and stood up gracefully. She softly walked over to the tree, placing both hands upon it for a moment, as if drawing the story from deep within its trunk. "The legend states they turned against each other. One night the demon stole the jewel and ran from the village. The miko followed and shot him with an arrow pinning him to this very tree." She traced her fingers over the bark as if to feel the body of the demon still there.

InuYasha shivered slightly, watching her. His voice was gruff as he spoke. "To be held for all eternity."

"Yeah, but then the legend gets muddled." Kagome pressed her forehead to the trunk of the tree thinking for a moment, before turning to face him.

"What do you mean?" InuYasha frowned as he watched the hand she still rested on the trunk unconsciously caress the bark.

"Well, the legend says the miko died of her injuries and the demon was cast under a spell. But I don't understand that part." Kagome frowned and bit her bottom lip.

"What part?" InuYasha asked, his eyes finally flicking to her face only to watch her worrying her lip. She looked innocently sexy and a slight twinge echoed in his chest. A scowl pierced his face as he tried to shake off the feeling.

"The consequences of their fight." Kagome looked him over carefully. "Are you okay?"

InuYasha shot his eyes up to lock onto her own. He flushed slightly and coughed. "Yeah, sorry just caught up in the story. Go on."

She smiled brightly and InuYasha's heart sped up slightly. He turned his head quickly to watch as an old man exited the main house and began to sweep the shrine grounds. Her voice soon brought his attention back at hand.

"Well, the legend never really stated how or why they fought or what happened to the jewel. It just said the miko died from her injuries and the jewel disappeared, after cursing the demon, but even that is vague. The demon in the legend supposedly died upon this very tree, but that does not explain why the miko would place a curse on him if he were just to die by her hand. But it's the end where the legend gets interesting."

"Yeah, like what happened to the jewel." He yawned, his mind starting to drift as he listened to the soft whoosh of the distant broom on the cobbles.

"No," Kagome smiled slyly as she leaned her back against the tree, "what happened to the demon."

InuYasha's eyes widened as he turned quickly to look at her. "Why would you care about him?"

Kagome flushed slightly. "I don't know, I guess I felt sorry them - for him mostly. He trusted a woman who could not trust him in return and it turned into his folly."

InuYasha looked her over and smirked. "Sounds like you have a crush on this guy. Should I be jealous?"

Kagome smirked back. "Always. But no, I just think that if you found out about the demon, maybe you would find out about the jewel. Since both are shrouded in the same mystery: the miko's curse and the miko's death."

InuYasha crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, he shouldn't matter since demons don't exist. He's just a part of the story."

Kagome smiled slightly. "Do you think it's just a story?"

"What do you mean?" InuYasha flicked his eyes over hers questionably, _she doesn't honestly think…?_

"Come here." She reached her hand out to him.

He looked at her hand cautiously and stood up.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Geez, Yasha, I won't bite!" She grabbed his hand and flushed as an electric tingle shot through her body. She looked up at him and pinked slightly. His eyes looked a bit glazed as he looked down at their hands, then up at her. His silver eyes looked deep and she thought she could see bits of amber gold. She cleared her throat and brought his hand quickly to the tree.

InuYasha stood slightly stunned as she placed his hand over a slight hole in the trunk. "What are you doing?" He looked confused as he tried to pull his hand away, but Kagome held it there fast.

Kagome smiled. "That's where the arrow struck the demon, pinning him to the tree."

InuYasha's eyes widened in shock. His fingers traced around the outer edge of the hole. Getting a hold of himself, he shook his head, pulling his hand from the tree and her touch. "Nah, looks like a woodpecker hole or something."

Kagome's smile faded slightly. She looked around quickly as if to make sure they were alone, before settling her gaze on him. She looked him over quickly, pursing her lips before nodding her head slightly as if coming to a decision. She bit her lip and reluctantly reached into her pocket to bring out a silk wrapping.

InuYasha frowned at it. He didn't like the feeling that was coming from her hand. "What is it?"

Kagome looked at the silk bundle in her hand, her expression softening at the memory. "My father used to tell me the legend every night to get me to go to sleep. He told it in such a way that I refused to believe it was just a story, and he never told me otherwise. He said," She smiled sadly, "…he said that we're all part of a story, all part of someone's tale. Legends are just lives so wonderful that no one remembers how they really lived, but it never stopped them from living. When I was little, I believed in it so much I wanted nothing more than for that demon to be real and for him to live forever," Kagome looked up at InuYasha and smiled shyly, "so one day he would know someone believed in him, and that he could trust someone."

InuYasha searched her eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but instead watched silently as Kagome unwrapped the silk.

"I told you I came to the tree when ever I needed to be alone. Being a child mind you, I thought for sure if I stayed here long enough, maybe I would see him. One night, as I climbed the tree, I hitched my finger in this hole, and I found this." Kagome held her hand out for him to see.

InuYasha's eyes widened. An arrowhead.

"You," he swallowed, unable to move his eyes from it, "really think that it's the same arrow that shot the demon?"

Kagome grinned and rewrapped it carefully. "I had it dated. It's estimated to be of that time, so roughly five hundred years old. Its make and material were used by the people of the Sengoku-jidai, the Warring states era. It could very well be the same arrow."

"You're sure?" InuYasha frowned and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Maybe some punk from that time just shot the tree one day."

Kagome smiled, her eyes gleamed in excitement. "Yeah, that is a possibility. But it was the idea that this was the very arrowhead that started my search for him."

InuYasha looked at her warily. "You do realize we are talking about demons here right? Fictional characters? It's just a legend you know."

Kagome looked him over and then nodded. "A legend, yes, but every legend starts somewhere with someone. It's just a matter of finding the fact behind the fantasy."

InuYasha was stunned. "Kagome?"

She smiled secretively. "I think it's time I show you what else I've found."


	3. Friendships

"You're mine now, Bitch!" InuYasha growled menacingly.

"You have no power! I will not lose this fight!" Kagome seethed, her eyes flashed a victorious sheen.

A dull glow flashed across their faces as they fought. Their eyes grew narrow and fierce under the pressure. Tension flooded the air.

"Keh." InuYasha bared his teeth. "I have no need of power, you're just a weak girl!"

Kagome fumed. "Weak girl? Can a weak girl do this!" She lunged and power punched his chest cavity until the man was bloody and lifeless.

"Kagome?" InuYasha sighed below her.

"Yes, lowly one?" Kagome looked down at him and leered.

"Can we get back to work? We've been at this for two hours."

Kagome looked at the PlayStation game and smirked. "You're just saying that because I whooped your ass."

"Keh. Whatever." InuYasha flicked the controller away from him and crossed his arms. He leaned back on the floor he was sitting on and rested against the side of the double bed. He glared up at Kagome who was sitting above him, cross-legged on the bed. "We've wasted enough time."

Kagome giggled and flicked the PlayStation off with its remote then stood beside him and stretched. Her arms reached high, lifting her white t-shirt to reveal smooth tanned torso. She dropped her arms unceremoniously and grinned down at him. "Well, it's your fault. You're the one who 'challenged' me."

InuYasha growled, his hard gaze flicking from her now covered stomach to her eyes before she noticed. "How was I supposed to know you had no life?"

Kagome glared at him and her hands jumped to her hips dramatically. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"What kind of girl is an expert at fighter games?" InuYasha stood up lazily and smirked down at her. He stretched his arms up and out, flexing a few muscles out of habit.

Kagome gaped, watching his pectoral muscles tighten against his dark shirt. She flicked her eyes up at his amused ones and she quickly gained her composure with as much grace as she could muster. _Oh I am so going to get you back for that one_. She made a childish face at him and turned to walk out the bedroom door. "It's a Shrine, you 'tard. My brother and I didn't have much else to do when we stayed here." She flicked her hands at the room. "And by the looks of it, Souta still doesn't do much around here."

InuYasha dropped his arms to his sides, laughing softly at her flustered state. He cast his gaze around her little brother's room. It was defiantly a boy's room. Posters of motorbikes, girls and manga littered the walls, and several high tech appliances filled whatever space the room might have had. He shrugged in indifference before following her. "Where did you say he was?"

"Tokyo University." Kagome led InuYasha out into the hallway. "During the fall and winter he stays at the dorm, closer to the university, and the summers he spends here, learning from Gramps."

InuYasha followed behind her. Having long been given the tour of the Shrine and now the house, there was only one spot left he wanted to see. "And where do you stay?" He asked lazily.

Kagome leaned up against a door at the end of the hall and looked him over shyly and seductively.

Small trembles of pleasure rippled through him uncontrollably with that look. _She's good._

She smiled slyly and tilted her head so that her soft raven hair swept over and caressed her left breast. "I've never had a boy in my room before."

InuYasha raised his eyes slightly and a grin spread across his face. "Oh?"

Kagome shook her head prettily. "Nope, none. You're my first." She looked at him with wide innocent eyes. Her full lower lip was caught between her teeth.

_She's really good._ InuYasha walked slowly over to her and leaned his hands on either side of her on the door. He breathed huskily down at her. "You know we shouldn't be doing this."

Kagome scanned her caramel eyes down his sleek muscular form, then back up, to rest seductively into his own silver orbs. "Do what?" She asked shyly.

InuYasha felt a slight tremor hit his groin and he flicked his gaze up her appreciatively, approving at what he saw. _Fuck, she's a pro!_

Kagome flushed in spite of herself but still held her focus on his face.

InuYasha smiled and stepped back from her. "Tease each other like this."

Kagome busted laughing, breaking the faux tension. "I know. We're bad." She turned to open the door behind her. "But it's all in good fun until someone pokes an eye out and I'm not expecting you to poke 'him' out anytime soon."

InuYasha choked out laughing and watched the girl enter the room. Kagome was funny, charming and beautiful, not to mention the best tease. He was glad she could take as well as give as much as he did. He shook his head slightly and followed her in.

Scanning his eyes around he realized the extent of her research. Boxes were piled upon boxes, which lined the walls, leaving enough room for her opened suitcases and one messy single bed.

"I can see why you never had a guy in here. Where would you put him?" He remarked.

Kagome grinned. "Well, as far as I can tell he has two options that really matter."

InuYasha raised his eyes questionably. "Oh? And what are they?"

"Above and below me." Kagome winked and skipped over a box to land on her bed. She sat heavily down, making the bed bounce softly, and patted the mattress beside her.

_Down, Boy! _InuYasha smirked and stepped over the boxes to join her, tossing his satchel and coat behind them on the bed against the wall. The mattress was soft and her scent wafted around him. He inhaled deep in spite of himself. The smell of wild roses hinted across his senses. He growled seductively and looked down at her beside him. "So I'm your first?"

Kagome blushed deep and turned her head quickly to the boxes around them. "So you see what we're up against here."

InuYasha blinked in confusion. _Was it something I said? She certainly turned the conversation around quickly. And is she blushing? Don't tell me she's… no way!_ He shook his head slightly to get at the matter at hand. He surveyed the room quickly. "All this is stuff about the Shikon legend?"

Kagome shook her head and heaved a sigh. "Nope, unfortunately. Most likely half of these are Souta's comics and a good portion of the other half are spirit wards and souvenirs. It's our job to root through them all to find my research." Kagome groaned and slumped back on the bed. "I'm so sorry. I had it all organized the last time I was here, but that was before Souta turned my room into storage. I was hoping to get through most of it before you showed up, but…" she waved her hands above her dramatically, "look at it all, and this is just one room!"

InuYasha scanned his gaze around again and groaned internally. "There are other rooms?"

Kagome sat up, brushing his arm in the process. Instinctively he leaned slightly into her before realizing and then quickly shifted away from her and settled on getting comfortable.

She nodded prettily. Her scent drifted over to him once more and he gripped his fingers into her mattress. "Damn."

"Are you sure you don't want to quit now that you know what we're up against?" She smiled jokingly, but her eyes held slight inhibition.

InuYasha grinned, not looking at her. "I've dealt with worse." He moved a box in front of him closer and opened the lid. Comics were filled to the brim. _Shit, she wasn't kidding._

"I know, I've read your biography." Kagome said before biting her bottom lip in embarrassment. "Um… I mean…."

InuYasha looked at her and smiled. "So Sesshomaru gave you reading material? What's it say?"

Kagome flicked her eyes at him before opening a box. "You should know, you've done it all."

"I just want to make sure he didn't miss out on anything, that's all." He picked up the box filled with comics and shifted it aside without any strain.

Kagome wheezed as she lifted a box in front of her and carried it over to a corner of her room. "Just your education and stuff. Nothing to be hyped up over."

InuYasha raised an eyebrow and rolled up his sleeves before shifting through more comic filled boxes. "No, I guess not."

They were silent for a few minutes before Kagome dropped a box in a huff. "How is it possible for you to do all that? How old are you? Three hundred!"

InuYasha looked up at her flushed face and smirked. "Seven hundred and eight actually, this November."

Kagome scowled and stuck her tongue out at him. "Figures. No mortal person could accomplish so much in one life time."

InuYasha laughed. "I'm sure Sesshomaru exaggerated enough to make you think so."

Kagome looked him over. "So you never went to law school, climbed Mount Fiji, dug up the Terra Cotta Army or learned seventeen languages?"

"No." InuYasha hefted another box without looking at her. "I did all that. And it's nineteen languages."

Kagome's mouth dropped and she flopped back down on the bed.

InuYasha turned to her. "What?"

She sat stunned for a few moments. "How…?"

"How?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"How come you quit law school? How far did you climb? How did it feel to dig something so amazing? How did you learn so many! For fuck sakes, you're my age, you can't be over thirty!" She rushed each question out in a flood.

InuYasha chuckled. "According to my driver's license, I'm twenty nine." Then he looked at her slyly. "How old are you?"

Kagome looked clueless for a second. "Um, twenty seven."

Silver eyes flashed wide. "Twenty seven? Damn!"

Kagome grimaced. "Yeah, I know I look younger than that."

He nodded dumbly. "Yeah, that's why I thought you were going to school. I thought you were eighteen when I first saw you."

"Eighteen!" Kagome laughed. "That's pretty bad."

InuYasha smirked. "Well, you'd still look good in a school girl outfit."

Kagome clobbered him with her pillow. "Shut up."

InuYasha blocked the pillow and his lips quirked as he struggled to keep from smiling.

"What!" Kagome blushed in embarrassed fury.

"Do you still sleep naked and alone?" He choked out laughing.

Kagome beat him a few times with her pillow before he grabbed a pillow and counterattacked, both laughing hard.

Downstairs Gramps shook his head. _She'll never be a professional with the racket she's making.

* * *

_

"Say it!" A desperate scream filtered out the squeaking twang of the mattress springs.

Silken eyes of the prone man on the bed looked up at her flushed face and pale skin. They twinkled mischievously. "Never."

Sweet agony flooded his groin as slick folds tightened and pulled at his cock. He trembled as he felt slight spasms of pleasure just before his desired release. Then it suddenly stopped. He groaned and bit his lip in angst.

"Say it!" Dark velvet brown eyes looked down at him in anger and passion.

"No." He smirked and closed his eyes in bliss as she pumped her wet sex up and down his aching shaft, riding him hard and deep, to punish him for his sins against her. Trickles of sweat poured down his face in his earnest to hold control. She would not break him. Not this time. He would hold out _this_ time.

She looked down at his face and growled. "Say it and you can have it."

He opened his eyes wide to stare at her in disbelief. "What?"

She never stopped riding his cock. Instead she drove her hips down harder and faster. "Say it…" she groaned and flung her head back to gasp in pleasure, "and I will let you."

The man stared up at her, panting with each thrust she dealt on him. "You're lying!"

She smiled deliciously down at him. She dug her nails into his tanned shoulders and dragged them down his sweat soaked chest to nestle into the soft hair by his manhood, which was saturated by her own juices.

"Do you really want to risk it?" She pushed down hard to sit fully on him, unmoving for the mean time, biting her lower lip in pleasure. She smiled wickedly as he growled at her in frustration.

He watched her in primal need as he disobediently bucked up into her sweet torture, but was unable to do more. She had tied him down to the bed, and he could not move his arms or legs from their bindings. He was prone, outstretched, and vulnerable. All he had left was his will power.

And he was losing this battle of passion. He was beginning to realize it now. She was always able to hold out longer, and he always gave into her pleasures. But he couldn't give in now. He had more than his honor at stake in this war of the wills. He also had his pride. If he gave in now, he would have to give up the one thing he could never let go of. His very nature would not allow it. He would not give in. He had to hold out longer!

He looked up at her, a strained grimace etched on his face as he tried to gain back his control. His hands gripped the nylon bindings wrapped around his wrists in an attempt to stretch out the pleasurable pain coursing through him.

She sat on top of him, panting, and her thighs gripped him hard to keep him in place below her. Her long dark hair fell in cascades around her body. A few strands were plastered around her sweat soaked breasts. She was tiring. He could feel her muscles quiver over his hips and straining manhood. It was all he needed to boost his control.

He smirked up at her and shook his head. He answered her in between shaking breaths. "No, you're lying to me. You will not break me this time."

She looked down at him and her eyes grew darker in annoyance. "You don't trust me." She stated more than questioned between soft pants.

His heart was racing hard against his chest but he still managed to look like he was in control. "As much as you trust me, my love." He grinned boyishly.

Her face grew furious and she swung her leg over, unsheathing him from her tight, hot embrace.

He bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep from crying out from the loss and begging her to bury his need in her again.

She stood to look down at him on the single bed with an expression of hunted heat. Slowly, she picked up a small dagger on the bureau beside her, twirling it between her fingers and examining its sharp blade.

His face grew worried. "What are you doing?"

She stalked slowly, like a lioness, to the head of the bed and gazed down at his face. She flicked her eyes over him, before staring hard into his own gray orbs. With a quick twirl of her wrist, she cut the rope that held one of his hands.

In a flash he attempted to tear at the nylon rope on his other wrist before she grabbed his free hand and held it tight against one of her sweat salted breasts. He growled but balked at finding her straddling him again, this time above his face. She pressed her heated core near his mouth.

His eyes rolled back at the smell of sweet nectar around him and he flicked his tongue up uncontrollably to taste it. His hot pink appendage slid over the wet tang of her folds, before flitting it quickly on her sensitive nub. The hand that was held against her full soft tit began to pull and rub at it willingly until her nipple hardened. He began to groan heavily against her center as he lapped up salted tartness of her rosy pink flesh.

She bucked and called out in delight, gripping his black hair between her fragile fingers.

That was enough for him. He lapped at her savagely, drinking as much of her as he could. She shifted slightly and he could tell she was about to get off of him. He would not allow that. Not when he was so close to winning. Tearing his hand from her breast, he gripped his arm around her slender waist and began to bite and nip at her folds before slipping his tongue swiftly over her opening.

She moaned and grabbed his dark hair harder, thrusting his face further into her.

He complied and delved his tongue into her wetness, pumping his tongue like he wished his cock could do at that moment.

She called out his name over and over and he knew she was close. He eased his tongue out of her and began to rake it over her clit, swirling it around and around, pushing harder and harder onto it.

She screamed out in pleasure and he stopped before she could cum. "Do you yield to me?"

She looked down at him and smiled savagely, before flipping around and grabbing his cock in one hand and sinking her mouth over the tip. Obviously her answer was a no.

He yelped in pleasure and bucked up, delving all of his length into her mouth and throat.

She pulled him out slowly and looked behind her at him, glaring at him for his undisciplined action.

But it was wasted. He could not see her face. All he could see was her pink folds and hot opening. With his one free hand, he could have undone his bindings, but instead he….

She shivered in triumph as he slid two fingers into her folds and slowly pumped them into her, searching for the spot that would have her mewling in need. He again attacked her clit with his tongue as his fingers pressed down onto her g-spot.

She cried out and her walls clenched hard over his fingers. But she was not about to be undone so quickly. She gripped his cock hard and swallowed as much as she could, rubbing his heavy, tight sac underneath, before lifting her head and sucking down again. Over and over she sucked, swirling her tongue around the tip with every lift. Faster and faster she went with each pump of his fingers in her.

It was the final battle now. Which could withstand as much pleasurable pain before they had to erupt. Both were at the end of their ropes now, but he knew all it took was one tight nip on her clit to send her over.

He nipped.

She bucked and jumped off of him, closing her eyes to keep her desire contained. She shuddered as she clenched back the ebbing orgasm and breathed heavily.

Eventually she looked down at him and growled. "You're cheating."

He smiled and moved his free hand to start to tear at the rope holding his other hand at bay. "All's fair in love and war."

She growled harder and leapt onto him again, sinking his shaft into her soft folds and began to ride him hard. She reached for the dagger that she placed back on the bedside table.

He looked at her in mock confusion before she ripped the rope off the hinge of the bed to free his other hand, and then tossing the dagger to the opposite side of the room.

He sat up quickly, but she was quicker and pushed him back down, snapping both of his arms up over his head and held him fast as she rode him furiously, her wetness dripping down his dick and balls. Her sensitive nipples skimmed up and down his chest and the look of horrified defeat was etching into her face.

"Say it! For the love of fuck! Say it!" She pleaded.

He shook his head quickly, looking up at her in earnest angst. He could swear his balls were turning blue from the pressure she was building and denying him all this time. "Not until you promise! Promise me!"

She cringed, tears streamed out of the corners of her eyes. "I can't!"

"Please, promise me! I'll do whatever you want if you promise! Please!" He spat out, gasping and thrusting up hard into her, faster and faster, harder and harder. His balls tingled in pain and pleasure as they slapped up against her toned ass.

Her face was tormented but her body more so. "Yes!" She screamed. "You can cum in me! NOW SAY IT, HOUSHI! SAY IT NOW!"

"I SWEAR I'LL NEVER GROPE YOUR ASS AGAIN!" He cried and felt her heat pulse hard and fast and deep, swallowing the seed that was soon to burst from him. She threw back her head and screamed in ecstasy.

"I'm going to cum!" Miroku howled out as the flood of his long pent up loins tightened and gushed up in him, tingling the head of his shaft in the most erotic painful bliss he had experienced yet.

She leapt from him just in time to see his cum shoot up and spill onto his chest and stomach. His dick pulsed and shuddered with each gush of pent up need.

His eyes flashed open in pleasure, shock and denial. "No! You promised!" He gasped, his body convulsing with each quiver of his spent manhood.

Her legs buckled under her as she collapsed on the floor on the side of the bed. "And bear your child? Not a chance." She panted. "But you swore that you would never grope my ass, Monk, you're bound by that vow."

The dark haired man turned his head to stare at her in blissful angst. "But you promised."

She shook her head and stood, gathering her clothing around her. "No, I just said 'yes' and that you 'can' cum in me. I did not swear I would let you."

He shook his head in numbed shock before turning to stare at the ceiling. "Damn."

"Monk, you just swore." She laughed and donned on her panties and bra that were discarded around the red themed room. "You could go to hell."

He swallowed and shut his eyes. "I think I'm there already."

She giggled. "Was it that bad?"

He turned his dark gray-blue glassy eyes on to her. "No… my darling Sango. When I am with you I am in Heaven. Without, I am in Hell."

She looked him over quickly and smacked him over the head. "Enough of that. I hope you've learned your lesson this time, Houshi. If you ever touch me again, next time I will hold you off so long that you'll wish blue was the only color your balls could turn."

"Yes, my Sango." With that, the monk sat up, untied himself and followed her to the shower.

A resounding slap echoed off the walls. "I mean it this time, Houshi!"

"Yes, Sango."

* * *

"I'm spent!" Kagome fell back onto the bed behind her.

InuYasha slumped down beside her, and rested his back against the wall. He drew up a knee to his chest and looked over at her, prone on the bed with her legs draped over the side. Her long, dark hair was in disarray and spread like a fan around her head. She looked like the poster girl for sexiness. His lips curled in a sly grin as he watched her before shaking his head and closing his eyes.

She turned her head towards him, her cheeks warm and pink. "How long have we been at it?"

He opened his tired eyes and looked around the room. He was amazed at all the work they had done that day.

They had gone through each box. InuYasha was astounded by how many comic books one kid could collect over the years, but didn't bother to complain when he discovered a treasure trove of hentai manga. He only managed to read through a couple before Kagome discovered where his attention span had gone. He thought for sure she would bawl him out, but instead she picked up one herself and flipped through it.

After awhile she snickered.

"Why is it their eyes have to be bigger then their hands, have nose bleeds at any mention of body contact and at least one character has blue hair?" She tossed the manga back into the box and sighed.

"Oh come on! You got to have the blue hair!" InuYasha laughed and tossed the manga he was reading into the box beside her.

Kagome flipped up a strand of her own hair. "Blue huh? My friend Eri dyed hers pink once. But I doubt it was because of her hair that she gave so many guys 'nose bleeds'."

InuYasha smirked and moved the box to the side and reached for another.

Kagome did the same.

"So dress as a school girl and dye my hair blue and then I'll be all set." Kagome tossed a strand of wavy hair over her shoulder. "Fuck that. I'd rather sleep alone than sleep with someone who doesn't even see me under it all."

"You sound slightly bitter." InuYasha teased. "I take it your last boyfriend didn't see the real you."

"No." Kagome frowned. "He saw the real me, it was just not how I wanted to be seen."

He looked at her. "What does that mean? What happened?"

Kagome just shook her head and smiled softly. "It means he wasn't the one for me."

InuYasha nodded and left it alone, though the idea left a bitter taste inside his mouth. He reached into the next box and hissed in pain as he pulled his hand out quickly. "What the fuck is all this?"

Kagome looked and saw his hand was covered in demon wards. He was shaking his hand furiously to flick them off.

Kagome giggled. "Gramps' ofudas, looked like he made them into stickers." She looked up at his pained expression. "Are they burning you? Are you telling me you're a demon?" She winked.

InuYasha shook his head. "No, the fuckers are giving me paper cuts and they won't peel off!"

Kagome laughed and grabbed his hand. "Come here, you big baby." She gently pulled each strip of paper off, realizing then how sticky they were. Soon she had to start pulling them off her own hand in the process.

Once she got them off she looked at his hand. "I don't see any cuts."

He pulled his hand away and scowled. "They're paper cuts, not knife wounds. Of course you can't see them." He poked a finger in his mouth and gave her a panged look.

She laughed and turned back to her organizing.

InuYasha watched her from the corner of his eye, and could still feel tingles from where she touched him.

InuYasha sighed and leaned his head on the wall. He gently rubbed the hand she touched unconsciously. "We've been at it for five hours." He replied.

It was now roughly organized. One wall was devoted to Souta's collections and Gramp's paraphernalia. In the middle of her room sat one box.

"I can't believe you only have one box." He growled.

Kagome sat up and frowned. "Yup." Her shoulders slumped slightly. She knew it was a huge disappointment for him, but more so for her. She thought for sure there were other boxes, but they were nowhere she had searched so far.

InuYasha flashed his eyes over at her. "I thought when you said you were going to show me what you found, it was already found, and that there was more than one fucking box."

Kagome shrugged. "It may be one box, but it's one box out of what I have found so far. There are still the archives and the Shrine's shed to look into. That's where I was when you came this morning."

InuYasha wiped his hands over his eyes dejectedly. "Please tell me you found something relevant in the shed."

"A bit. I haven't read them over yet." Kagome yawned and stretched.

"Then we should have started there! Why the fuck did you have us go through all these boxes?" He ran his fingers through his hair, giving his head a good scratch in the process.

Kagome regarded him carefully and looked down. "I can't remember specifically the information but I know the gist. I needed this box to validate my research, but there are a few others I know that are around. I just need to find them." She looked around. "Besides, I needed help cleaning my room."

InuYasha growled and gave her a good shove. "Remind me to kill you for this later."

Kagome chuckled. She stood and walked to the door. "I'm certain I will. How about we give this up for the day? I'm sure you have plans tonight, but not until after I feed you, to thank you for helping me. Unless you're not hungry?" She turned her head to him and tilted it questionably.

A loud rumbling emitted from his stomach as if on queue. He grinned devilishly and flicked his eyes up her body. "I'm always hungry."

Kagome watched his expression before she turned to face him fully, smiling seductively. Slowly she began to run a finger up her stomach, between her breasts and then to her lips. "Tell me if I make it too hot for you." She darted her gaze to his pants then to his eyes. "Because I can always blow on it." She busted out in giggles and walked out of the room. "Come on, baka, I'll see what we have."

InuYasha sat still for a moment, stunned that she just said and did. _Holy fuck, does she actually do… that?_ A slight twinge settled in his pelvis and he groaned softly. _Okay, maybe the teasing has gone too far. _He might end up actually liking this girl.

He walked outside of the room to hear her call up to him.

"Gramps only has ramen! Is that okay?"

InuYasha stalled at the top of the steps. "Ramen! Hell yeah!" Scratch that. He already liked this girl. This was not good. He would _not_ fall for her. Problem was, he had a year left with her. Certainly he could handle a year. Too bad this was just the first day.

He walked down the stairs contrarily, but it quickly faded with the sound of her laughter and the smell of ramen.

* * *

Two hunched bodies sitting at the kitchen table turned in the direction of a closing door.

"So, how'd it go?" Miroku looked back at his hand of cards.

"Yeah, find out anything?" Sango looked at her own hand and reached to pick up another card from the stack.

InuYasha slumped in a chair between the two of them. "No, other than the fact not to wear a suit when I go over there." He was dusty and he felt grimy. He was longing for a shower and to call it a day.

Both looked him over and smiled.

"So what's the 'old battleaxe' like?" Miroku scoffed.

Sango kicked him under the table.

"What?" Miroku winced and put a card down, never missing a beat.

InuYasha planked his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. "Keh, fine."

Both looked at him stunned.

"Fine?" Both quipped.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say anything nice about anyone before!" Miroku beamed. "Does this mean I'm right? She's a babe?"

Again Sango kicked him, harder this time around.

"Ow! What?" Miroku rubbed his sore leg and pouted at Sango.

Sango looked over at InuYasha concerned. "So do you think you'll get along okay with her?"

InuYasha sat up and crossed his arms. "Keh, as long as she gets the info I need, she'll be fine." He stood up and stretched. He didn't like the direction this conversation was heading and the need to stay in was quickly dissipating. The last thing he needed were his friends asking questions and bringing up shit he already knew. "So are we going out tonight?"

Sango and Miroku looked at each other and shrugged. They understood his moods enough to know he needed to go out.

"Sure." Sango nodded.

"I'm up for it." Miroku smiled greedily.

Sango scowled at him.

"Damn it, woman! What!" Miroku replied.

InuYasha shook his head and walked out of the kitchen towards the tall staircase that led to his own room. "I'm taking a shower. Sort out what's on the go when I get out."

Both nodded and watched him go.

"I think he likes her." Miroku mumbled.

"Let's hope nothing will come of it." Sango hushed back.

They both stared at their cards, but were distracted by their thoughts. It was short lived however.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" InuYasha pounded down the stairs and stormed back into the kitchen. "IT'S BAD ENOUGH I KNOW YOU'RE FUCKING, BUT ON MY BED!"

Both blushed and got up quickly to run from the fury of the silver-eyed man.

"Well someone has to fuck on it, not like you'll ever!" Miroku laughed. InuYasha's face burned red and chased after him. Miroku yelped and charged out of the kitchen. "I'm a diversion! I'm a diversion! Run away, Sango, run!"

Sango busted laughing and ran after them.


	4. Research

Kagome sighed. It was a warm, beautiful Saturday, and she was spending it sweeping the Shrine grounds. She was sure there were tons of other things that she could be doing at the moment, only for her to stop and realize that she didn't know where to go or what to do. This may have been her home when she was a child, but now it was foreign to her. In all honesty, what could she be doing right now?

_Research…._

_Yeah right…._ _Who would want to spend a day like this cooped up inside reading scrolls?_

"Hey."

Kagome looked up to see InuYasha watching her with an unrecognizable expression, obviously, since a pair of sunglasses hid his stormy gray eyes. He was dressed casual today, wearing a gray t-shirt tucked into blue jeans. His hands were hanging haphazardly on his pockets.

"Hey yourself." Kagome smiled and leaned on her broom. "What are you doing here?"

InuYasha looked at her, her broom, the Shrine grounds then back at her. "Uh, don't we have research to do?"

Kagome tilted her head in surprise. "On a Saturday? Don't you have anything fun to do?"

He regarded her quickly and smirked. "Yup, …you."

Kagome glanced at the broom in distain. "I wish I did…." Then she looked up to catch his wicked grin. "I just got that… pervert." She muttered, then laughed and shook her head. Strands of her dark hair pulled from the ribbon that held it back at the nape of her neck, making wisps float down to frame her face.

He watched mesmerized before taking in her clothing. He frowned. "Why are you dressed like… that?"

She looked down at herself. She wore a white chihaya and red hibakama. "Heh. Yeah. It is a bit outdated, but Gramps likes it when I dress traditional for the tourists. Apparently, as a miko, I should dress the part."

InuYasha's frown deepened. "Who said you're a miko?"

Kagome smiled softly. "Gramps… and my father. My dad was a monk of high regard for this Shrine. People used to swear by his powers. But don't worry. I'm not trained so I can't purify you. Even if I was, I wouldn't touch you." She eyed him perceptively.

His eyes narrowed behind his dark glasses. "Not touch me? Are you saying I'm tainted?"

Kagome bit back a grin. "No, just saying I like you being a bad boy. Why mess with perfection?"

His eyes shot wide open and a grin quickly replaced his frown. "Perfection, huh?" He stepped closer to look down at her. He quirked an eyebrow seductively. "And what would you base that on?"

She smiled softly and slowly closed the distance between them. She now stood a foot away from his hard chest. He could smell the wild sweetness of her scent and he bit back a groan.

Kagome flowed her eyes from his belt buckle, to his chest, then to her reflection in his dark glasses. She flicked her hair back with a gentle shake of her head as she looked up at him. Her head titled slightly to the side as if studying him appreciatively before she answered, her breath tickling his lips. "Mmm…. Long silky hair, eyes to get lost in and a body made for the purest sin. Now if you never opened that brazen mouth of yours, you'd be god's gift to women."

InuYasha's mouth dropped.

Kagome laughed and pushed him from her. "So why are you really here? It's a nice day, go out and enjoy it."

InuYasha quickly gained his composure and laughed with her. He shook his head. "Nope, time is money."

Kagome cringed. "Right, the old guilt trip. Works every time." Then her face lit up as her mood brightened. "But it gets me out of sweeping the Shrine and these clothes!"

"Anything's good that gets you out of your clothes." InuYasha grinned widely.

Kagome growled and smacked his arm.

"What?" He laughed, flinching from her attack. "It's a good thing!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Come on!" She grabbed his hand and headed to the house.

Once inside she put the broom away and ran up to her room. "I'll be down in a sec, make yourself at home."

Five minutes later she came down to watch InuYasha finish off a cup of ramen. He was leaning against the counter comfortably. His shades rested on his head, tugging back portions of his long black hair. He looked relaxed and very sexy. She shook her head from her reverie and watched him swig the noodle cup, tapping the bottom to loosen any stray noodles into his mouth.

She smirked. "Wow, glad you took my suggestion to heart." She took the cup out of his hand and frowned, empty.

She quickly took down another cup of noodles from the cupboard. "Want another one?"

InuYasha reached up from behind her and took down two more cups. "Don't mind if I do."

Kagome's breath hitched slightly in her throat from the warmth of his body leaning up behind hers. She shrugged it off and turned her head to him and smiled. "I don't think I've met anyone as addicted to ramen as you are."

"Your grandfather seems to be. Considering he has a cupboard full." He handed her the cups.

Kagome poured water into the cups and put them in the microwave. "That's because he doesn't bother to make anything else. He has a housekeeper that comes in during the day to fix him a meal and clean up, but he likes to take care of himself. Ever since we moved to Canada, he's really been on his own. At least now he has Souta." Kagome flinched and she stood to face him. "Now that's sad."

"Your brother can't be that bad." His voice trailed off. He turned his head slightly upon reading her shirt. "Te Hago Caliente?"

Kagome smiled. "My friend, Eri, picked this up on a business trip to Spain. She never told me what it said, so I just assumed it was the hotel she stayed in. She usually gives me the free stuff from her travels." Kagome looked at the growing smile on his face and frowned. "I take it it's not a hotel?"

InuYasha shook his head slightly and leaned over her. His body was warm and he smelled of fresh air and male spice. Kagome's eyes drifted shut and she licked her lips unconsciously as he breathed gently against her ear. "It says 'Do I make you horny?'"

Kagome's eyes flew open. "Oh my god!" She busted laughing. "I'm going to kill her!"

"Don't." InuYasha backed up and smiled. "It suits you."

"Oh really?" Kagome stuck out her tongue and reached into a drawer to take out some chopsticks. "Well, thank god there aren't many here who can understand it."

InuYasha eyes grew dark. "If they did, it'd be the last thing they read."

Kagome looked at him confused but did not have time to question because at that moment the microwave dinged. "Lunch is served." She handed him two of the cups and a pair of chopsticks and then reached for her own. "So Spanish, English and Japanese. Just three of the nineteen languages you know."

"Yup." InuYasha inhaled some noodles.

"Are you fluent in all of them?"

"Yup."

Kagome looked at him wryly. "Tell me something then."

"Tell you what?" He looked at her questionably.

She shrugged. "I don't know, say something to me in Spanish, like your name or whatever."

He looked her over quietly before settling his silver eyes into her honey brown. Slowly he smiled into his ramen cup. "Si quieres chuparme el pito, no voy a protestar."

Kagome regarded him skeptically. "Now that didn't sound like 'Hello my name is….'"

He winked down at her and started into his last cup. "So what are we doing today?"

"You know you're not going to get away with not telling me." She picked at her own cup in annoyance.

"I love for you to try to drag it out of me." He smiled and wriggled an eyebrow.

Kagome growled and pointed her chopsticks menacingly at him. "One day you will tell me."

"Not today, Princess." He downed the rest of his cup and wiped his mouth. "So what's the plan?"

Kagome sighed. "Well. How about we go through the box we found and start from there?"

InuYasha nodded. "Now we're getting somewhere." He peered down at her and purred. "Bedroom?"

Kagome bit her cheek and leered back at him. "If you weren't my partner I would so slap you."

"Never stopped you before." He smirked.

"I didn't know who you were!" She shot back, putting her unfinished cup on the counter. "And you were looking down my shirt!"

He read her shirt again and drifted his eyes to hers. "So now that you know me, you won't smack me for looking down your shirt?"

Kagome laughed incredulously before gaining her composure. Grinning, she replied. "I won't make any promises. Besides you're still my partner."

InuYasha picked up her discarded ramen cup and headed out of the kitchen to the stairs leading to her bedroom. "Don't let that stop you."

Kagome stood in the kitchen before she followed slowly behind him. "That's exactly what's stopping me." She whispered.

* * *

InuYasha growled. "Is this all there is? For the last hour all I've been reading is the same legend told different ways, and there is still nothing! Why did you keep all this shit?"

Kagome sighed. "Because they're scrolls dated at different times. Each story tells me something new about the legend. And how it was modified tells me something about that time."

InuYasha gave her a dull look.

"It's a folklore thing." Kagome rolled her eyes. "It's not just the outcome of the story, it's how it's told, the way the characters are portrayed, additions, subtractions, blah, blah, blah. Every detail and every change the legend has gone through has told me what interested the people at the time it was modified. You know, what the people were like, what they believed, how they thought."

InuYasha tossed the scroll he was reading into the box. "Whatever, it still doesn't tell us what we need to know, such as where the jewel is."

Kagome shook her head exasperatedly "All those scrolls gave me insight inside the legend, and made one valuable discovery for me."

"Oh?" InuYasha collapsed on her bed and grabbed one of her pillows to put under his head. "And what pray tell is that?"

Kagome looked up from the floor she was sitting on to glare at him. "That there was a constant. There was a miko, a demon and a jewel. The miko was killed and the hanyou was cursed and the jewel disappeared."

He gripped the pillow over his face and sighed in frustration. "And that is relevant how?" His muffled voice called through the pillow's padding.

Kagome wiped her hands over her face in weary annoyance then looked up at him. "Do you know the story of Gilgamesh?"

InuYasha peered from under the pillow, his expression confused. "Gilgawha?"

Kagome gave him an irritated glance. "The epic of Gilgamesh is perhaps the oldest written story on earth. It comes from Ancient Sumeria. The story itself tells of the King of Uruk, whose name just happens to be Gilgamesh, who lived around 2700 BC or so. Its tale describes the King accomplishing many feats. The most recognized tale was when Gilgamesh had encountered Utnapishtim, an immortal human. Upon asking how he gained immortality, Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh the story of the flood.

"The gods had decided they would destroy the world with a giant flood, since man had become wicked. It was not to be told to any one, but one god told Utnapishtim. The god instructed the man to build a giant boat, with specific dimensions and to bring every living creature upon the boat with him. After he had done what was asked, he shut the door to the boat, and the flood began. It rained for seven days and seven nights, and destroyed every living thing. The world had become virtually an ocean. Eventually, Utnapishtim's boat landed upon the top of Mount Nimush and remained there for seven days. After the seven days, he released a dove, which did not find dry land. Later he released a swallow, and finally a raven. With the release of the raven, the waters soon receded. Utnapishtim let the animals from the boat and sacrificed a sheep to the god who helped him. Following that, Utnapishtim and his wife were blessed with immortality."

Kagome sighed and flopped her body down on the floor. "Does this story remind you of another?"

InuYasha nodded, he quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, Noah's Ark."

Kagome nodded. "The book of Genesis describes when God wished to destroy the world because man had become sinful. Noah was told by God to build the ark, then to bring two of each creature on to it. Once the door was closed, it rained for forty days and forty nights. When the rain stopped, the ark eventually became grounded on the mountains of Ararat. Two birds were sent, first a raven, then a dove. The waters finally receded and Noah sacrificed a lamb to God. Noah was blessed by God and given dominion over the earth." Kagome sat up quickly, staring at him hard. "But it's not just these two. Plato told of Atlantis, of a flood and the people who had to climb the mountain to survive. One Native American legend told of Coyote, who climbed the mountainous back of the turtle to survive the flood that killed all the wickedness of man. From Coyote's blood, new people were born."

InuYasha sighed. "Okay. I'll bite. This little story time was told because…?"

"These stories are thousands of years apart, told by different cultures on different lands. But there are constants." She began to count her fingers. "The flood to destroy the evil of man, the chosen survivors, the mountain, and the progression of man after the world was purged. Given that these were different people and told at different times, it gives insight to the people who told these stories. Every person adapts a story to suit a culture at a given time. That's how legends are created, but it never deviates from the constants. When you compare the constants do you find the truth behind the story." She turned her head to him. "In this case, perhaps there was once a flood that affected the globe. People sought high ground to survive, but many were killed. Soon, the land went back to normal, and humanity thrived once again.

So you see, these scrolls, though they tell the same story differently, never deviate from those constants: the miko, the demon, and the jewel. All else does not matter. So what we have to focus on is who the miko and demon were, what happened to them and the importance of the jewel."

InuYasha sighed. "Fine. Folklore is great. But we already know the importance of the jewel. It could make anyone powerful. But how in the hell are you going to find anything about the miko and the supposed demon?"

Kagome smiled slyly. "And that is where archaeology comes in."

InuYasha sat up and studied her face. "Archaeology? How?"

Kagome sat up and pulled a stack of papers onto her lap. "A few years ago, a dig was done in the lots behind the shrine. Apparently they were under new development, and they found the remnants of an old village, dating to the Warring States." She lifted a paper from the pile. "This contains a copy of what they found."

InuYasha slid off the bed and sat beside her. He looked down at the sheet in front of her. "What did they find?"

"In one area of a hut they discovered buried scrolls." Kagome grinned.

InuYasha choked. "What?"

Kagome smiled. "Ever wonder where the jewel came from, and why it was given to the miko?"

InuYasha looked at her with piercing steel eyes. "How did you get this information?"

Kagome looked down and flipped through the pages. "My great aunt works as a historian for the city. She was involved in the transcripts of the scrolls. She knew of my fascination and gave me a copy of her findings. Mind you, many just think this an addition to an old story, but to some, it could be the cause of a national treasure hunt, so the information remained concealed. Even I'm not legally allowed to know of it."

InuYasha's eyes looked hungry as he searched the page in front of her.

"So this is where I ask you, can I trust you?" Kagome looked up at him seriously.

InuYasha blinked and cast his gaze up at her. He smiled sedately. "I won't tell another soul."

Kagome smiled and flipped to the page she was looking at and read.

"Kagome,

I know you have an interest in the legend of the Shikon no Tama, something I know you have taken after from your father. He was a good and honorable man, and had great respect for this legend. He had helped document and validate many of the folklore and history of our country. I am sure he would have appreciated this addition to the Shikon legend and would have included it with the history of the Shrine. So I send you the essence of what was found in the site north of the shrine. I am sure it will be of interest to you.

According to the scrolls, the Shikon no Tama was created during a time of turmoil, when rogue youkai ravaged the earth. Only one miko was able to battle the demons since it was said her power could purify many demons at once. The name of the miko was Midoriko. She alone had the positive balance of the four souls we all contain: Aramitama (_Courage_), Nigimitama (_Friendship_), Kushimitama (_Wisdom_) and Sakimitama (_Love_). Her power was so feared by the demons, that she was often the target of many youkai wars. Her power was also lusted by man. One man in particular lusted greatly after her, and fed his soul to many demons to gain power in order to take her. From the harvest of his soul, the demons joined as one, and sought the power of the miko.

Midoriko and the demon fought for seven days and seven nights, until the miko was almost drained of strength. Within the jaws of the demon, she absorbed its tainted soul and combined it with the purity of her own. The power of them combined killed them both, but from their entwined souls, the Shikon no Tama was formed. Within the jewel, Midoriko and the demon still fight and thus the power of the jewel can be swayed to either be corrupt or pure. Over the centuries both men and demons possessed the jewel, until a village of demon slayers claimed it. The demon slayers then entrusted the jewel to a miko of high purification powers.

And there the legend begins.

It is an interesting beginning to the legend and should add more color when your grandfather tells it to the shrine visitors. I am sure he will find some way to endorse it. I will try to keep my eye on him from time to time. When you next arrive in Tokyo, please come by to visit me.

Your loving great aunt,

Kaede

P.S. Your father had documented the Shikon legend extensively. I am sure it would have pleased him to have this portion included with his work."

Kagome looked at her great aunt's signature and sat deep in thought over certain sentences in the letter. Well, she tried to be deep in thought.

InuYasha had started to rummage through the box in front of her.

Kagome frowned. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything that's fucking relevant." He fumed.

Kagome gaped. "You don't think knowing where the jewel came from is relevant?"

InuYasha sat back and sighed. He scraped his fingers along his scalp distractedly. "Listen, Princess, we have gone through scrolls, letters and books, all telling the same story and telling us exactly what we already know. Now we have a prequel to the legend, which still gives us squat! But you, yourself, had said that what is interesting is what happened at the end of the legend. And that, girl, is what my brother is paying you to discover."

Kagome fumed. "I know exactly what your brother is paying me for! But how do you expect to know the ending if you never even knew the beginning?"

"I don't need to know the beginning!" InuYasha barked. "It doesn't tell me who the miko was, who the demon was, and most importantly, where the damned jewel is!"

"What is with you and the fucking jewel? Wherever it is, if it even exists at all, it's staying right where it is! I doubt if it hasn't been discovered in the last five hundred years, it won't be discovered in the next five minutes! And if we are going to get anywhere, knowing where the jewel came from is a fantastic start!"

"Why, because it has 'constants'?" InuYasha quoted sarcastically with his fingers.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond but then looked thoughtful.

InuYasha shook his head incredulously. "Whatever. It's a complete bust. Now what?"

Kagome chewed on her lip for a bit and flipped through the letter her aunt gave her. A few things about it nagged her, but she didn't feel confident enough to bring it up to InuYasha. Then a dawning realization hit her. "Hey, wait. My father documented the legend extensively. This legend was practically his life's work. It's pretty much where I got all these scrolls. I know he has a journal somewhere. It would be great once I get a hold of it. It should at least have some names or such to point us in the right direction."

"You know, that would have been great to have before all this!" The dark haired man growled, waving his hands at the state her room was in.

She sighed in vehemence. "What part of 'has a journal somewhere' didn't you get? If I knew where it was, I wouldn't feel the need to impale your face in the ground right now!"

InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Keh! So call your old man and find out!"

Kagome paled slightly and she dropped her gaze to the letter. "He's dead."

InuYasha growled slightly and sighed. "I'm… sorry."

Kagome smiled. "I wonder why everyone says that? Are they sorry to find out someone died, or feel they offended someone by asking?" She looked up at him and her smile faded to a sad line. "Only one person should be telling me they're sorry. But she died when she crashed into my father."

InuYasha searched her room, uncomfortably trying to listen. He turned quickly to her. "Do you want to talk about this?"

Kagome shook her head.

"Good, then let's get out of here." InuYasha stood and held his hand down to her.

She accepted his hand and stood up beside him. "Where're we going?"

"Out."


	5. Out

'Out' was an understatement.

Kagome soon figured this out when InuYasha walked her down to the subway station. Along the way they had chatted about certain sites in Tokyo. Well, mostly InuYasha spoke of sites, since Kagome could only remember the childhood haunts and places she saw while visiting her grandfather. She learned of interesting stories and archaeological discoveries and certain coy anecdotes that she was certain he made up… or hoped he did anyways.

"So Miroku did _that_ there?" Kagome crinkled her nose at the mental visual of what his friend did in a once respected tearoom. "Ah man, gross! And you're still friends with him?"

InuYasha barked out laughing. "Well, when you meet him you'll see he's not as bad as all that. He has his moments, but all around he can be a decent guy."

"When, huh? So you're going to introduce me to your friends?" Kagome smiled and watched as the metallic train clattered noisily in front of them before squealing to a stop.

InuYasha smirked and lead her onto the train. "Yeah, well, maybe. If you're a good girl."

Kagome pouted. "Oh pooh. And I so wanted to be bad." She found a rail to grip onto by a window and looked over at him slyly as he stood close beside her. "Can I be good at being bad?"

InuYasha's eyes lavished over her hungrily then twinkled in mischievous delight, allowing his body to brush against her as the train began to move. "You put that shirt of yours to good work." He sobered quickly. "If ever I take you to meet him, I'll make sure to pick out your wardrobe."

She laughed and shook her head. "Why, can he understand Spanish too?"

InuYasha sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in mock frustration. "Miroku has made it a point to learn all the romantic languages. Now if only he would speak anything other than 'will you bear my children' he just might have an appreciation for those languages."

"No offence, but your friend sounds like a lecher." Kagome looked up at him in distaste.

"No… he is a lecher. But he's gotten better since we met up with Sango." InuYasha looked across from her to gaze out the window of the train.

"You've mentioned Sango quite a bit today. Who is she? Is she his girlfriend?" Kagome also looked out the window casually, but her thoughts betrayed her. _Please don't let her be yours._

"Sango is her own woman." InuYasha responded distantly, not looking at her.

_He seems to think highly of her_. Kagome tilted her head slightly to study his reflection in the window. It was enough of an answer that she could swear if she knew the girl it would make sense, but to hear it that way from him it made her stomach churn. But she thought it wise not to question. Besides, she can't have feelings for InuYasha. He was her partner, not to mention the brother to her sponsor. It was bad enough she teased him as she did. Nothing could ever come of it. It would be unprofessional. But then again, was it a written rule? Kagome shook her head mentally. What did it matter? He had this Sango.

She sighed. "So where exactly are we going?"

InuYasha nodded his head to the window as the train slowed to a jarring stop. "We're here."

Here ended up being Tokyo Station. InuYasha led her over to the heavily populated train terminal, walking slowly so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. Once they reached the platform, Kagome lifted her head to read the sign over the heads of the rushing people. "The JR Yamanote Line?"

InuYasha nodded and paid the admission for both of them.

She thanked him and followed him onto the train. He was lucky enough to find two seats together. One was next to a window. He ushered her to the window seat and sat beside her. "Keep watching outside."

Kagome nodded and kept her eyes looking out the window. Soon enough the transit train took off and Kagome gasped. "InuYasha, look! The Imperial Palace!"

The soft edging of the old palace reflected in the calm waters that surrounded it and the traditional humbleness of it all entranced her. InuYasha just smiled as he watched her expressive eyes light up in delight as the home of the Emperor filtered into view.

She quickly patted his leg and pointed "And look! The East Gardens! My father used to take me there when I was little! I haven't seen it in over twenty years!" She turned to him, her face glowing in happiness.

He smirked and nudged her, nodding to the window. "Keep watching."

Kagome quickly turned to the window to watch the city in all its glory. The tracks were only two hundred meters long, but it took over an hour to practically see all of Tokyo's major centers. InuYasha pointed out certain features and told her their histories. She was amazed at how much he knew, but then again, he did grow up here.

"So." InuYasha crossed his arms when they finally went around the loop. "Where would you like to visit?"

Kagome gaped. "You mean I have to choose? There are so many places I want to see." She looked outside as the train pulled up to Tokyo Station. It was still early afternoon and the station looked as busy as it did when they arrived. Looking across the terminal she smiled. "I want to see the gardens."

InuYasha stood and held his hand out to her. "Might as well. It's free admission."

Kagome laughed. "Well, you'll come to realize that I'm a cheap date. The simplest things make me happy." She paled slightly. "Not saying this is a date."

InuYasha shook his head and his eyes gleamed. "Heaven forbid you're cheap too. Come on, Princess, let's see your gardens."

Kagome's mouth dropped at his cheap retort and she glared at him, but then giggled and grabbed his hand. The instant her hand held his she felt hot and tingly. As she stood up beside him she quickly let go, impervious to her pinked cheeks. _What the hell is coming over me? _

InuYasha flicked his eyes at her flushed expression and turned to lead her out of the train. A slow grin swept on his face, which he quickly let die as he led her across to the East Gardens. _All I have to do is butter her up to get the information out of her, not treat her like some girlfriend._ But watching her face light up at the sight of the Garden's entrance made his chest grow tight. He scowled in spite of him self and walked behind her, keeping her at a distance but watching her every move.

Kagome was impervious to his standoffishness as she wandered in the Garden grounds, her mind flicking back to her childhood. She walked casually up the hill, basking in the heat of the day. Soon enough her eyes focused on the landmark she was seeking, the former castle tower's remains. She smiled and jogged over to the structure. Casting her gaze around she lost sight of InuYasha. She frowned but turned her face back to the broken tower. She gingerly swept her fingers along the surface and her face held a sort of reverence.

"Take her to the finest stops around Tokyo and she chooses a public garden to stroke a five hundred year old burnt out tower."

Kagome grinned and turned to the man behind her. "Correction, to stroke five hundred years of history. You can't imagine how wonderful it feels."

InuYasha flexed a brow and smirked. "You don't get out much if stoking an old building turns you on."

Kagome sidled up to him and leaned her body against his. Looking up into his platinum eyes she breathed sweetly against his pulse. "That building has remained hard and upright for almost five hundred years. Can you top that?" She meant to tease, but her eyes held hurt and annoyance.

She quickly spun away from him and headed down the hill towards the Japanese garden below. She was slightly irked that he ruined her awe of the place, but felt better when she drew sight of the pond in the garden, taking in its peaceful serenity. She sat at the water's edge in a slight huff and watched her reflection. Soon enough InuYasha appeared behind her. She didn't say anything to him but didn't protest when he sat beside her.

They were quiet for a while before he spoke. "Hey… uh… sorry. Guess I take for granted some of this shit. You know, growing up around here and all." He shrugged.

Kagome smiled softly. "Hey, don't worry about it. And you're right, what kind of girl gets excited about such things?" She sighed and flicked her eyes over at him. "Actually, I really do." She cast her eyes back on the water. "My dad was a fanatic about history. Sometimes he would sneak me away to any part of the city and tell me stories, very much like you did today. Every place was different and he always made it so fascinating, like we were really there when something was made or done. When he died, my memory was all I had of him. And I realized how important all of this was to him… to me. He told me that no one had memories of when these structures were built or the people who made them. Yet here they are, watching the city and people change around them. They are living memories of what we become. So who can't be in awe of that?" She looked up at him and smiled warmly.

InuYasha turned his head to her. He felt a soft heat spread through him as he watched her. A cool wind flittered strands of her hair across her face and she made no motion to move them. He softly swept his fingers along her cheek to tuck the strands behind her ear. Realizing what he did, he shot his hand back to his side and shuffled a bit away from her. He unconsciously rubbed his hand against the side of his jeans before gripping his hands together around his bent knees. "Keh. I guess."

Kagome's cheek tingled where he touched her briefly and she watched him move away from her. She noticed he seemed pissed off and she couldn't help but feel at fault, though she had no idea why he'd be repulsed by touching her. She sighed resolutely and looked down at the water once more. What did it matter anyways? Not like anything could happen if she wanted it to. And she still wasn't positive she wanted anything. It was true she felt this indescribable connection to InuYasha, but she had already gone down that road before, and got burned, badly. Did she want to chance a relationship? She mentally shook her head. Well, from the reaction he just had, it was apparent he didn't. They were partners, and friends, and it was better left at that.

Kagome watched him from the corner of her eye and her heart fell slightly at the small scowl he held. She knew she had to get things back to the straight and narrow between them again. She hated awkward moments, especially when she felt to blame for them.

She stood up quickly in determination and looked around, brushing grass off her posterior. She grinned humorously down at him as if nothing happened. "Well, come on, partner, I'm starved. Show your 'tag along' where some good, cheap grub is."

InuYasha flicked his eyes up at her and smirked. "I don't think there are any street dogs around here, if that's what you're looking for. We might have to into a building or something."

"I'll try to hold my excitement at bay." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Besides I'm sure there's a WacDonald's around here somewhere."

InuYasha blanched and looked like he was about to gag. "I'm not taking you to a fast food joint. Who knows what they do to their food."

"Okay, Ramen boy, and where would you like to go?" Kagome crossed her arms and watched him stand before her.

"I know the best sushi place." He gave a lop-sided grin and started to walk up the hill in the direction of the subways.

Kagome followed and smiled softly. _Back on track.

* * *

_

"You hold your chopsticks like a two year old. Here, like this." InuYasha growled, though his face fought a smile.

Kagome laughed as he tried to twine her fingers into the proper position around her chopsticks. "What's wrong with the way I hold them? I can still eat."

InuYasha cast his eyes to hers then back to her struggling fingers, which he unceremoniously let go. "You're an embarrassment. Eating is also supposed to be about style and grace. You know, showing honor to those who prepare your meal. You look like you're trying to impale an already dead fish."

Kagome scowled and nipped his nose with her sticks. "Speaking of manners. I'm trying, and positive reinforcement has proven wonders. A compliment can go a long way, you know."

He shook his head. "Get more bees with honey aspect? I'm about the get more honey from bees kind of thing. People have to know whose in charge in order to get things done, or else they end up being lazy and reckless and…" he watched her drop a sliver of sushi on her lap, "uncouth."

Kagome picked it up with her fingers and popped the morsel in her mouth. "Three second rule." She grinned widely.

InuYasha shook his head and resumed eating his own meal. "Why do I bother?"

Kagome laughed and thrusted her hands out to him. "Okay, show me again."

He rolled his eyes and again tried to manipulate her fingers to hold her utensils properly. She finally got it by the end of the meal, though it was a bit of wasted time since the meal was over. But he had to admit it was fun being with her. She held a sudden charm when her mouth or her clumsiness didn't get in the way. And she was always smiling and joking. InuYasha hated to think about it, but he had never felt so relaxed with anyone. Nor with anyone so beautiful, in a girl-next-door-child-sister sort of way, he quickly added.

Walking out of the restaurant he looked at his watch. "Almost four o'clock."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. We should head back. I'm sure Gramps is wondering where I am."

"Yeah, plus we have that book to look for." InuYasha stretched his arms above his head and folded his hands to rest behind his neck as he walked beside her.

She grew quiet, which wasn't entirely bad, since he often enjoyed the companionable silence they shared, but the distracted look she had worried him. It wasn't like her to hold anything back. She made it a point to say exactly what was on her mind. It was a trait he liked about her. She had no pretences. Yet now it looked like she was concerned about something.

"You okay there, Kags?" He nudged her slightly with his arm as he let them fall to his sides.

She looked startled before she smiled slightly up at him. "Yeah, never better. You okay?"

He searched her eyes for a moment before shrugging. "Keh, nothing feels better like a break from research. I'm ready to hit those scrolls again." He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Literally." His grin died as he watched her face look further withdrawn. He sighed contrarily and crossed his arms as he walked silently beside her.

They started to walk down to the subway when she finally spoke. "Why don't you take the day off tomorrow? I mean, we have tons of time to do research and I'm sure you and your friends would like to hang out tonight."

InuYasha shrugged. "I guess so. We're at a stand still right now."

Kagome flexed her brows in exasperation. "Yup."

InuYasha glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "So, any ideas where to go from here?"

She began to chew on her lip, which he had quickly learned was a dead giveaway that she was thinking hard. Expecting her to give him some decided action, he was quickly disappointed. Kagome looked ahead and shook her head. "Nope."

He snapped. "So, what do we do then? Waste our time and go to the library to read the same damned legend over again?"

Kagome looked down, deep in thought, worrying her lower lip even further.

"Hey, Princess! You going to answer me?"

Kagome turned to him and tilted her head, but her eyes avoided his. "How about we worry about that on Monday?"

InuYasha scowled as she turned away and walked onto the train. She was hiding something and he was determined to find out what.

* * *

Sure enough, a few hours after he dropped her off at the shrine, Kagome was walking towards the subway station.

It was early in the evening and slightly cool. She tugged her long trench coat tightly around her. She even looked like she was up to something from the way she cast her eyes around. Of course she could also be trying to find her way since she got easily lost. But it sure didn't explain what she was doing out alone and at this hour.

InuYasha followed behind her quietly, making sure to stay in shadow or crowds, but since she wasn't expecting him to be following her, he wasn't really afraid of being discovered.

The subway was a bit tricky, but he managed to hop out of the train just as he saw her walk out of her section onto the station. He ducked within the crowd and followed her out onto the sidewalk of the bustling street of downtown Tokyo. There was something odd about her that he couldn't quite place until he got a good look at her when she had glimpsed back distractedly in his direction.

She looked different. Stunning to be precise. She was only wearing a touch of eyeliner and lipstick, but it was enough of a contrast to make her eyes and lips stand out beautifully.

He growled despite of himself. _Why is she made up like that? _He pushed himself through the crowd to get closer to her as she turned a corner out of his sight.

Quickly rounding the corner, he frowned and watched as she entered a dance club. He scowled, realizing now why she was all dolled up. _Why the hell was she going in there? I thought she didn't know any places here._

Walking into the darkened hallway of the boisterous club, he grimaced at the smell of smoke, booze and sweat. He glanced quickly around trying to find her. A vision in a blue dress standing at the bar momentarily caught his attention. He scanned his eyes up her quickly, appreciating the view. She had long shapely legs, covered at the thigh by a short light blue summer dress that hugged off her rounded hips. A narrow waist gave way to the sultry curves of her breasts. Long wavy black hair cascaded down to her mid back.

He noticed many other men were eyeing her too and he chuckled under his breath. _The bitch is going to get it tonight._ He cast his eyes around again trying to find Kagome, only to have his gaze fall on the girl every once in awhile. He groaned in frustration. _Damn, where the hell is she?_

Eventually he saw a man about his height walk past him and straight to the woman at the bar. His mousy black hair was short and boyishly tousled but his features were mildly okay. InuYasha smirked as the man put his hand on the girl's shoulder. _Keh, sorry, fellas, the bitch is spoken for._ He was about to turn away when the girl spun around and smiled vibrantly.

_Kagome!_ InuYasha's jaw dropped and his blood began to boil. That man was touching Kagome!

He leapt into the crowd towards them, trying to keep his temper in check as she hugged the asshole tightly and kissed his cheek. Drawing up closer to them he could hear her laughter and his annoying voice.

"I got here as quick as I could when I got your call. I'm glad you found the way okay since you don't know the area anymore. I would have just came by the Shrine sometime, but I didn't know you needed it this badly." The man smiled lazily.

InuYasha's gray eyes narrowed into slits. _Almost there._

"It's been so long since I've seen you…" she quirked a smile, "and I was desperate. I needed you to give it to me sooner rather than later." Kagome sipped on some red drink before pulling out a cherry and sucking on it, her eyes never wavering from the fucker in front of her. "Do you have what I need?"

InuYasha snarled under his breath, trying to push through the crowd in front of them. _Move out of my way, damn it!_

"I do," the man grinned and flicked his eyes down, "I have it right here."

_That's it!_ A few more steps until the little shit's throat was in his hands.

"Let's get out of here so I can see it." Kagome placed her drink down and gathered her things in a desperate rush.

"It's going to be a big load on you. Are you sure can handle it all?" The man chuckled and took her arm.

Kagome nodded and smiled in flustered relief. "The bigger the better."

"Let's go to my place then, it's closer. We'll do it there."

"The hell you will!" InuYasha yelled and grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

"InuYasha?" Kagome looked at him in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting you from assholes like him!" InuYasha roared.

"InuYasha, what the hell are you talking about?" Kagome barked back at him.

"You are not going anywhere with him!" He yelled and shook his arm, jolting the man in the air like a bag of marbles.

"Like hell! What gives you the right to tell me where I can and can't go?" Her eyes hardened.

"Since it seems you can't go anywhere without someone wanting to fuck you!" InuYasha's eyes gleamed like burning steel as he stared fiercely at the man he held above him.

"What!" She screeched.

"Look around, bitch! Every man here looks at you like ravenous wolves. You think I'm going to let you go home with one of them?" He argued with the woman in front of him, glaring at her in disbelief.

"I don't care about those men. I'm not going home with any of them! And…and… Fuck! I can handle myself just fine, I don't need you to… to…!" Then her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my god!" She started smacking her purse on his arm over and over with womanly fury. "You son of a bitch! You had the idea I would… that I could… and that I would…. InuYasha, you perverted, egotistical, narrow minded…!"

InuYasha kept flinching from her attacks and repeated insults but kept hold of the man above him. "Ow! Hey! Knock it off! I was only trying to protect you, wench!"

"Protecting me from what? My little brother?" Kagome smacked his arm again.

"Ow! Fuck, Kagome, I… brother!" InuYasha's face looked confused.

"That's Souta, my brother, the one I told you about." Kagome huffed, then her eyes turned furious again and she started to smack his arm harder. "InuYasha, you fucking sicko! You thought I was going home to sleep with him?"

InuYasha's face looked bewildered then almost relieved. He quickly ignored the tantrum she was throwing on him. _Souta… her younger brother?_

"Uh, you mind putting me down now." A voice choked overhead.

InuYasha started, forgetting he was holding the kid in the air. He put him down gently and smirked. "Um, sorry about that, man. I didn't hurt you did I?"

Souta looked at him in horrified shock that switched quickly to absolute awe. "Holy shit! Did you see that? He had me over his head for over three minutes!"

Kagome smacked her brother's head. "Language!"

Souta rubbed the back of his swatted head, not realizing her rebuke. "I mean, the guy could probably kill anyone with his bare hands!"

Kagome frowned. "Well, you could have been one of them, you dolt!"

Souta smiled brightly. "Yeah, he could have. That's so cool."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Souta, what the fuck have you been smoking?"

Souta shook his head mechanically. "Nothing." Still watching InuYasha, his face turned one of idol worship. "He called me 'man'."

Kagome threw up her arms in exasperation. "I give up. Let's go children, the bouncers are on their way."

Sure enough, five bouncers where attempting to make their way over to the trio.

InuYasha smirked again brazenly. "Keh. Whatever. Come on, Souta, let's get the woman out of here."

The young man smiled and nodded his head. He watched as InuYasha grabbed Kagome's arm and led her out of the bar. He followed closely behind with an excited grin on his face.

Once outside, Souta led them out of the lot towards the university district. "Come on, Kagome, let's look at it at my place."

InuYasha scowled, remembering their conversation that put him in this embarrassing position. "Look at what?"

Kagome turned to him and her eyes narrowed, obviously still pissed off with him. "The very thing that may give us clues. My father's journal."


	6. Night

InuYasha walked casually beside Souta. The young man hadn't stopped talking since they left the club. He had lost interest on what the kid was saying after hearing "That was so cool" and "Because we're men, right?" about fifty times. He just kept nodding and smirking whenever the kid turned his way, but his attention was focused on the raven-haired fury behind him.

Kagome hadn't said a word after stating they had her father's journal. He glanced back to see her pull her overcoat on.

"Cold?"

Startled, Kagome peered up at him. She frowned slightly and shook her head softly before looking away.

InuYasha turned back ahead. Great, she was still mad. But could he blame her? He had basically implied she was a whore and couldn't take care of herself. Fuck, it's exactly what he said. He knew she wasn't like that. Kagome was a lot of things, but none of her was bad. Yet why had he flown off the handle to think she could be? Because of _her. _ He growled at the thought. _She_ had broken his trust, torn their love, and still played with the pieces. It's because of _her_ that he tainted his view of Kagome's purity.

InuYasha sighed internally. Purity. Kagome was pure. He knew that. Sure she teased, but she was so innocent afterwards he couldn't help but feel pulled in to either protect her or fuck her to claim that innocence for his own. He cringed at the thought. No, he would never do that to Kagome. Other than the fact she was his partner, he could never do that with someone like her.

His eyes flicked to Souta, who was still talking with no awareness of the tension between his sister and himself. Both of them held that innocence. Both seemed oblivious to the hardships and strife of the world. They laughed, joked and looked as if the world were their adventure, and not the black predator that InuYasha had come to know so well. He was jealous. He was jealous of their virtuousness, jealous of their cleanliness. He was jealous, because he could never bring himself to touch it. He could only look at it in awe.

Watching Kagome from the corner of his eye, he could see she looked angry, but there was sadness there as well. And he caused it. He hated the thought of taking the light from her eyes. His shoulders tightened. Why did he care? Wasn't like he didn't piss of his friends before. Why was she so different that the thought of making her sad clawed at him like an ice-cold rake? He snorted softly and pushed the matter in the back of his mind. Fuck it. What matters now is they had the journal. Maybe that book would finally make her useful. Besides, she wasn't anything to him. She was just his key to finding the Shikon, nothing more. _Yeah, having that kind of attitude will help me tons_. He rolled his eyes. He continued to walk in silence, but his attention never left the girl walking a few feet behind him.

The fluorescent lights of the university cast a green glow around the student district. Several clusters of youth walked or jogged together to whatever bars or parties they were going to.

Kagome let her eyes wonder as she watched laughing faces pass her. She sighed. She missed her friends and hanging out. She missed laughing and talking with them over everything and nothing. She smiled softly as a young couple walked past. She wondered if she would ever feel that way again. But then again, it wasn't like it did her any good in the past. David was everything she thought she wanted, and she had become almost everything he wanted. How easily one can be lost when it comes to making others happy. So much to the point where you can lose yourself forever, unless you are lucky to have that one moment to finally see the truth. Her moment came, and she thought for sure it would have been the end of her. She had never had a relationship since, burying herself in work and friends. So many times her friends tried to set her up, and each time she left with a new friend, and nothing more. No one could settle that fear in her heart.

Her eyes drifted unconsciously to InuYasha only to meet his stare. He turned his gaze swiftly away, his silver eyes unreadable. She cast her face down. Who was she kidding? Her last relationship had nearly broken her, why would she open herself to give someone else that chance? Besides, she didn't have time to find love. Her eyes followed the gentle sweep of his long black hair as he walked. Maybe if she was lucky, love wouldn't find her either.

"Souta!"

All eyes turned to see a petit blue haired girl run towards them and jumped into the boy's arms, kissing him soundly on the lips.

Kagome turned to her brother with a quirk in her eyebrow. Her brother avoided her gaze as he blushed slightly down at the girl in his arms. "Naomi, I didn't know you were back!"

She giggled and gave him a large hug. "I tried to call, but your answering machine was busted again. I thought you were going to fix it."

Souta smiled down at her. "Yeah, I've been meaning to get around to that. Figured if it was important, people would call back."

She swatted his arm. "I did, four times!" She grabbed his hand. "Come on, the gang is heading over to the new dance club."

His smile intensified but faltered when Kagome coughed. His eyes looked guiltily over at her. "Kagome, do you mind…?"

Kagome looked over at the girl who seemed surprised to see her there. She sidled up to her brother and wrapped an arm around his middle. "I don't know, Sody-pop, it is rather late."

Naomi's eyes grew dark as she watched.

"And we both know how cranky you are in the morning." Kagome winked at Naomi devilishly.

The poor girl looked ready to bust as her furious eyes turned on Souta who pushed Kagome off of him in boyish annoyance.

"Geez, Kagome, what you trying to do? Make me a eunuch?"

Kagome laughed and bowed slightly to the girl. "Don't mind us. I'm Kagome, Souta's older sister."

Naomi's face fell in relief then beamed in happiness. "Oh, of course! Kagome, right, Souta told me about you."

Kagome wanted to say she never heard of the girl, but held her tongue. "New club? Sounds fun." She looked to her brother. "Go on, have a good time."

Souta grinned and grabbed Naomi's hand. "Thanks, sis."

"Wait, you guys want to come with?" The small girl grinned, sizing InuYasha up appreciatively though Souta took no notice, but Kagome did.

Kagome frowned and immediately stood beside her partner, who was smirking at the couple as the girl stared at him as if he was eye candy. "No, thanks, we have work to do." She turned to her brother. "Journal?"

"Oh, right." He fished in his jacket and produced a small journal. The pages looked torn, folded and extremely yellowed. Kagome took the journal and looked down at it lovingly, letting her fingers trace a red ribbon that held the worn book together.

"See you, Kags! Later, InuYasha." Souta jogged off with the strange girl, leaving Kagome and InuYasha to watch him join his friends in a taxi and drive off.

"Blue hair huh?" InuYasha gleamed. "I can imagine why he likes her."

Kagome gaped and smacked his arm. "Ew! That's just dirty!"

"What's dirty was that little trick you played on your brother. I was worried the little smurf was going to jump you." He chuckled.

Kagome grinned and shrugged. "He's my little brother, and it wasn't like he hasn't pulled stuff on me. Besides, I could have taken her."

InuYasha's brows rose in wicked delight. "Now that I'd loved to have seen."

Kagome looked up at him in mock anger. "Think I can't take her?"

The man shook his head. "I'm sure you would have had the girl running with her tail between her legs. It's seeing you get dirty that would have been great."

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "Come on, hentai, no foxy boxing for you today." She began to walk in the direction of the subways.

InuYasha followed after. "Rain check then?"

Kagome crinkled her nose. "As if. I'm not fighting some chick for my brother."

"Doesn't have to be for your brother."

Kagome gaped and looked up at him to see him holding back a laugh. She stuck her tongue out at him. "As if you're worth fighting for."

InuYasha pouted. "I'm hurt, 'Gome."

"Well, after the bar scene tonight, you're lucky I'm talking to you." She crossed her arms though she fought off a smile.

InuYasha cringed. He almost forgot about that. Seeing her smile and joke wiped the event from his mind. Somehow, her being happy made everything fresh and new. Having her angry was not a side he wanted to visit regularly, in fact it made him want to cover his balls in protection. But she was right. He was lucky. Kagome may have had a temper, but she forgave with no questions asked. And he was glad, because he wouldn't know how to answer if she did. Still, he did owe her some sort of an apology.

"Look, Kagome, I'm…."

"Forgiven." She smiled up at him. "You were just trying to keep me safe, and I appreciate that. Next time though, make sure you trust me."

He smiled faintly. "Keh." _Trust. You don't know how impossible that is for me_. He looked down at her. "So where now?"

She sighed. "It's a bit late to go back to the Shrine. Gramps will be placing demon wards over the temple again since the tourists peel them off for souvenirs and I don't want to be caught to help. I don't know where to go. Maybe a café?"

InuYasha gazed down at her face looking up at him so innocently. His eyes roamed her dress briefly between the folds of her jacket before looking at the journal in her hands. _Just my key to the Shikon, that's all…but_. He exhaled in surrender. "Let's give up the research tonight."

Kagome looked stunned and then smiled. "You are telling me to give up research for the night? That's a first."

He grinned exasperatedly and grabbed her hand to lead her to a cab. "Come on, let's have some fun."

Stepping out of the cab, Kagome was lulled by the beat of several clubs. She gazed around at the various neon signs and the laughing patrons as they passed in and out of the bars. She smiled as InuYasha clasped her elbow and tugged her over to an entrance.

"Myoga's?" Kagome read the neon sign over the door.

"Yeah, an old family friend runs the place. It's a rock bar. I come to hang here once in awhile with Miro and Sango." He opened the door for her.

The sounds of a classic rock song filtered in her ears and she smiled. She walked in and gazed around. The club was dark, as most clubs go, and tables were scattered along the walls. A small DJ room was set up by the bar and bodies swayed on the large dance floor as the DJ pumped out another song. The place didn't look like it could hold more than five hundred people, but InuYasha explained it had the capacity to hold a thousand.

Leaning over the bar, InuYasha tapped an old man. "Myoga, you fucking parasite, give me my usual."

The short gray haired man scowled. "Have no respect for an old man, do you, InuYasha?"

The dark haired man smirked. "Respect those who deserve it. Usual and…." He looked down at Kagome beside him. "Well, princess? What you having? Something fruity?"

She glowered at him and then smiled at the man behind the bar. "You got Kirin?"

The man grinned and flicked his eyes over at InuYasha. "Two usuals coming up."

"So, beer drinker?" InuYasha flipped some money on the counter and grabbed the two beers Myoga produced in front of them.

"I grew up in Canada, what did you think I would drink?" She laughed as she followed him through the bar.

"Didn't know Kirin was a Canadian choice of beer." He smirked back at her, leading her to an empty table in the back.

She sat beside him and grabbed a beer from his hand. "It isn't, but it's something I wanted to try. Besides, coming back from the field, nothing makes it more complete than an ice cold drink."

InuYasha laughed. "Right, you know you're an archaeologist when alcohol replaces water."

She chuckled and downed a bit of her beer and sighed. "Have to admit, it hits the spot."

They talked and laughed for the better part of twenty minutes before Kagome got up to buy the second round of beer. InuYasha watched her go with a faint smile on his face. Looking down at his empty bottle, he was caught unaware as a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and a soft body fell on his lap.

"Where were you all day?" Deep brown eyes stared accusingly at him.

"Fuck, Sango, I hate when you sneak up on me like that." He growled and pushed her off his lap.

She slumped in the chair Kagome was occupying. "Thought you'd be back at supper. Miro made your favorite, chicken ramen." She fiddled with Kagome's empty beer bottle. "Two beers already? Bad day?"

InuYasha frowned and avoided her knowing look. "It was fine."

"InuYasha, I'm beginning to worry…."

"Sango, my love, leave the poor guy alone."

InuYasha grumbled a thanks as Miroku took a seat opposite him.

"Besides, if InuYasha decides to tea bag his partner, who are we to deny his happiness." Miroku grinned devilishly.

Silver eyes flared but InuYasha didn't have time to retort before a soft voice laughed behind him. "And you must be Miroku."

Violet and brown eyes turned to see Kagome smiling down at them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming or I would have gotten you both drinks." Kagome placed a beer in front of InuYasha and looked to both Sango and Miroku. "What would you guys like?"

Sango's mouth floundered like a fish while Miroku beamed a smile at her. "Two of the same." He said, pointing to the beer.

Kagome nodded and headed over to the bar once again.

"Holy fuck!" Miroku watched the sway of Kagome's hips and round ass before Sango smacked him in the back of the head and punched in the arm by InuYasha. Rubbing both pains, Miroku turned to InuYasha. "Damn, man, I envy you. You work with that every day?"

Sango scowled at him before turning back to InuYasha. "You should have told us! This must be so hard on you."

Miroku frowned. "Told us what? So what if she's hot. Yash can handle himself fine, he has so far."

"Not that, idiot. She looks just like her." Sango tried to peer at Kagome while she leaned over the bar to Myoga to order their drinks.

"She looks nothing like her." InuYasha growled.

Both of his friends turned to him with disbelief on their faces.

He glowered. "Fine, she might look a bit like her. But she ain't her, so drop it."

"InuYasha, you better be careful." Sango glared at him. "You know…"

"Yeah! I fucking know!" The man snarled. "You don't think I know! Damn it, she's just my partner, once it's done, she's gone. She's nothing to me so drop it."

Both looked at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, man."

"We just worry, because the last time…."

"The last time was a mistake. A dead end to a botched job." InuYasha watched as Kagome walked towards them. "I won't make the same mistake again."

Everyone turned and smiled as Kagome handed them the beers and sat down on the other side of InuYasha. She looked over at the dark eyed woman that watched her scrupulously. Kagome smiled despite of herself and nodded her head at the brown haired beauty. "I know the letch through reputation" she smiled as Miroku choked on his beer, "but I'd know you anywhere. Sango, right?"

Sango flicked her eyes over at InuYasha before nodding. "Yeah, InuYasha talks about us?"

Kagome wasn't sure which 'us' she meant, us as in Miroku and Sango, or us as in Sango and InuYasha? She smiled as she decided to play it by ear. "InuYasha speaks very highly of both of you."

Sango's brows rose in curiosity. "Oh, and what did he say about me?" She leaned in towards Kagome, flicking her hands in annoyance towards InuYasha when he began to complain.

Kagome giggled at the discomfort on InuYasha's face. "He told me how clever and strong you are, and said you had a mean left hook."

Sango beamed and looked at Kagome with twinkling brown eyes, before looking haughtily over at the embarrassed man. "And you told me I had a weak punch."

"Keh."

Everyone laughed and began to chat in comfort.

Soon after Kagome excused herself to go to the washroom. InuYasha cringed as both his friends turned to him.

"Wow." Sango smiled. "She's great, InuYasha."

"Yeah," Miroku grinned. "She's hard not to like."

InuYasha just shrugged and nursed his beer, peeling at the label. "She's fine. She doesn't piss me off and it makes the day go faster. She's also pretty smart. She knows what she's doing, so that's good. She also has a great sense of humor, like the other day she…." He looked up to see two knowing looks. "What?"

"You like her." Sango smiled slightly though she looked worried.

"Fuck off. She's nothing like that. Just a…."

"Friend?" Miroku nodded. "She is a good friend, InuYasha, and that's all she better be."

InuYasha avoided their looks. He crossed his arms and stared hard at his beer. "She will never be more than that. I'd kill myself before I make that mistake again."

Both his friends smiled sadly.

"We are so sorry, InuYasha." Sango sighed and bit her lip.

"Hey, now, enough of this. Not like anything's happened yet, not like anything will. Come on, lover, let's dance." Miroku stood and grabbed Sango's hand.

She glanced back at InuYasha before following Miroku out on the dance floor.

InuYasha grimaced as he swallowed the remainder of his now warm beer. His eyes followed the line of the dance floor and could make out Kagome coming from the bathroom. She stepped between the dancers, trying to make her way back to the table before she was grabbed from behind. InuYasha stood in a flash as he saw a brown haired man run his hands up and down her sides and ground against her from behind. He snarled and thundered into the crowded dance floor, oblivious to rhyme or reason. He just knew he had to get to her.

Kagome gasped when she was grabbed and tried to turn around to see who it was. But the man had thrusted her against him and he was grinding a very aroused organ against her ass. Her face paled as her mouth dropped in revulsion. She struggled in the man's grasp and turned to face him. Ochre brown eyes stared down at her lustily as they traveled up and down her body. Long waves of brown hair framed his face and fierce white teeth flashed her with a satanic smile.

She pushed him from her and gave him a deadly glare, before turning around to make her way back to the table. Her hand was grabbed and she felt herself pulled back into the man's arms. She struggled against his chest and flared her light brown eyes up at him. "Let me go."

His eyebrows rose as he mocked her. "And why should I do that?" His voice was calm, cold and very dominating.

Kagome hated him that very moment. "Sir, if you do not let me go, I will make sure you will live to regret it."

The man smiled slightly and released her before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Kagome watched him and shuddered as she tried to wipe the feel of him off her. _What a creep._ Turning back towards her table, she meandered through the crowd and smiled when she spotted InuYasha. He didn't see her, so she made her way towards him on the dance floor.

InuYasha turned around in the crowd. He was certain Kagome was in this spot a moment ago. Where the hell did that bastard drag her? He was about to walk on before slender arms wrapped around his chest from behind, molding his back against a soft hot body.

He turned his head to gaze over his shoulder and faltered. "Ki…Kikyo?"

"Hey, lover." Cold brown eyes looked up at him hungrily before she let go to stand in front of him, tracing her fingers over his stomach. "Miss me?"

InuYasha shivered at her touch and pulled her hand away. "Why are you here?"

She smirked and tossed a lock of long straight black hair over her shoulder. "Looking for you of course. Why else would I visit any hole you seem to frequent?"

InuYasha frowned and looked away. "What do you want?"

"Same reason why I always come." She eyed him lustily. "My offer still stands, Inu. All you have to do is kiss me, and I'm all yours."

InuYasha avoided her gaze and looked out into the crowd. "You've given me a lifetime of hell by offering an eternity of hell. How can I refuse?"

Her cold laughter drew his attention into her dark brown orbs.

"Silly dog. Poor, hopeful Inu. Do you honestly think you can find that damned thing? Think it can honestly save you from your fate?" She trailed her fingers up his chest to cup his cheek. "Why do you fight so hard?"

InuYasha closed his eyes and clenched his hands into tight fists. "When I find it, Kikyo, I'll make it better, I swear."

She chuckled. "What's done is done. Nothing you do will make it better. It's your fault we ended up like this, and you still chase after a stupid dream, thinking you can right a wrong with a wish and a prayer. I'm offering you a way out. Come with me. Fuck me like you want to, and let the past go."

He opened his eyes to the crowd and looked into the smiling face of Kagome who was walking towards them. He let out a shuddering sigh. "Kagome."

"What?" Kikyo turned to look where he was looking and she smirked. "Oh, how cute." Gingerly, she wrapped an arm around his waist as the girl peered curiously at the both of them before she stopped to stand in front of them.

Kagome smiled up at InuYasha, but her smile faded when she saw the look on his face. He looked angry, scared and sad. She glanced to the woman who was caressing his chest in deep scratching circles.

Kagome's eyes narrowed at the obvious cause of his distress. "Excuse me, I don't think we've met."

The woman laughed. "Why, InuYasha, she is ever so sweet and polite. And look, she wants to protect you from me. What did he call you? Komy, was it?"

Kagome kept her mouth closed. She knew the woman would try to goad her on, no matter what she said. But something else disturbed her. This woman looked familiar. Kagome knew she had seen her somewhere before, in a nightmare for sure.

"Now, where was I?" Kikyo pushed her breasts tight against InuYasha's side. "Oh yes, you were about to tell your little friend goodbye, and we were going to go fuck."

Kagome paled and flicked her eyes up at InuYasha who had turned his face away in torment. Kagome shook her head slightly, coming to a quick decision. "I'm sorry. But InuYasha is not going anywhere with you."

Silver eyes flashed wide as he stared dumbstruck down at his partner.

Kagome sauntered up to him and pulled him from Kikyo's grasp and stood in front of him. She faced Kikyo and her brass eyes flashed dangerously. "As you can see, he has more than enough to handle here as it is."

"Oh really?" Kikyo smirked. "I find that hard to believe."

Kagome said nothing and turned to gaze up into InuYasha's eyes, searching to see if he was okay and imploring what to do to help him. His silver eyes were now dark like molten steel as he looked down at her with a hooded expression. She licked her lips unconsciously. "InuYasha?" She cupped his cheek and smiled softly when he leaned into her touch. His disturbed countenance made her want to hunt down whatever caused him his distress. Never before had she felt so relentless about something. She needed him to know that she was there for him. She leaned up to his cheek and whispered so only he could hear. "Everything will be alright."

InuYasha shivered as he shut his eyes and leaned down, gently taking her lips with his own, his hands softly clasping her waist. Kagome's eyes widened slightly, before softly closing as she leaned into his kiss. She knew what this kiss meant. She knew what he was asking of her.

Cold laughter startled them from their bond and they broke the chaste kiss to look at Kikyo.

"I am sure you will enjoy devouring her, like you have done with so many others." Her dark eyes pierced his silver. "Enjoy her while you can, Inu. I only wish I could be there when she screams." She eyed Kagome hungrily. "She will be the one to finally break you. Once she's gone, you'll come to me, and I'll be waiting." She turned and faded into the crowd.

Kagome inhaled sharply as InuYasha's fingers gripped her sides hard.

"InuYasha?" She looked up at him in worry.

He avoided her gaze. "I'll take you home." He released her quickly and took her hand to guide her back to their table.

Sango and Miroku were already standing by the table, waiting. Sango jogged over to him in a fierce panic.

"She was here, Inu…."

"I know." His gruff voice told both his friends what they needed to know. Grabbing their things, InuYasha lead Kagome from the bar and out into the street. Both Sango and Miroku followed closely behind. He turned back on them. "Go home, guys, I'll meet you there after I drop Kagome off."

"InuYasha?" Kagome pulled at her hand, making him turn angrily back at her. She bit her lip. "I'll be fine. I'll take a cab back to the shrine. You go home with your friends. But I expect to see you on Monday to go through some scrolls from the shed, and if you're lucky, I'll let you see the book." She smiled jokingly up at him.

The fury in his eyes turned quickly to confusion, disbelief and finally gentle ease. Even now she didn't ask questions, never searched for explanations. "Kagome, I…."

"You what?" Kagome smiled gently, pulling her hand from his. She sighed as she gave him a playful grin and smacked his arm softly. "I guess you are worth fighting for after all." She nodded to the two stunned people standing behind InuYasha. "It was nice to meet you both, I hope we can hang with each other again sometime." She smiled lightly at them as she walked to a cab and got in.

Three silent people watched as she drove off as if the night had ended with stories and songs. Two sets of eyes peered up at InuYasha to see a soft expression on his face.

Sango shook her head in disbelief. "What happened?"

"Kagome." InuYasha watched the cab's red lights flash as it turned a corner. "She made it alright."


End file.
